About Dana Porter
Lived 1901 – 1967 (aged 66). Dana Porter was a Canadian politician, judge and chancellor.
Dana Harris Porter (January 14, 1901 – May 13, 1967) was a Canadian politician and jurist. Porter was a member of the Ontario Legislature from 1943 to 1958 serving as a representative for Toronto St. George and was appointed Chief Justice in 1958. He was the first chancellor of the University of Waterloo.
Early life and education Porter was born January 14, 1901, in Toronto. His father, Dr. George Porter, was the director of health services at the University of Toronto and his brother was hockey player John Porter, who went on to serve as executive vice-president at Simpsons. He continued his studies in England at Balliol College, Oxford from which he graduated with a master's degree in 1923. He returned to Toronto where he earned a law degree from Osgoode Hall.
Porter was the first chancellor of the University of Waterloo, serving from 1960 to 1966. The university's arts library was named the Dana Porter Arts Library following Porter's death in 1967.
Personal life Porter married his wife Dorothy (née Parker) in 1929. Together they had two sons - Dana Jr. and Julian. The funeral was held on May 16 at the Metropolitan United Church in Toronto. Led by Reverend Arthur B. B. Moore, nearly 1,000 were in attendance. Among the 23 honorary pallbearers were former prime minister John Diefenbaker, former Ontario premier John Robarts and author Claude Bissell. Following the service, Porter's body was interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
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Important facts
People in Dana Porter's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Dana Porter's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Dana Porter?
Canadian politician
When was Dana Porter born?
Dana Porter was born on 14 January 1901 in Toronto.
When did Dana Porter die?
Dana Porter died on 13 May 1967.
What was Dana Porter's occupation?
Dana Porter was a politician, judge and chancellor.
What nationality was Dana Porter?
Dana Porter was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dana Porter. https://biography.guide/dana-porter/
MLA: "Dana Porter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dana-porter/.
Chicago: "Dana Porter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dana-porter/.
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