Eugene H. Porter
Eugene Hoffman Porter (August 7, 1856 – August 11, 1929) was an American physician, farmer, and Commissioner of the New York State Health Department and the Foods and Markets Division.
Life
Porter was born on August 7, 1856, in Ghent, New York, the son of Curtis H. Porter and Julia Hoffman.[1]
Porter attended the
Porter was consulting physician to the Laura Franklin Free Hospital for Children and the Hahnemann Hospital, a Medical Examiner for the Manhattan Life Insurance Company and Penn Mutual, and Professor of Medical Chemistry and Sanitary Science. He resided in New York City. In 1905, Governor Frank W. Higgins appointed him Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. Governor Charles Evans Hughes reappointed him to the office in 1909. As Commissioner, he focused on controlling contagious diseases, the matter of the state's polluted streams, the fight against tuberculosis, and a general education effort in public health work.[4] Under him the Health Department established county tuberculosis hospitals and created the New York State Public Health Council, a precursor of the Public Health and Health Planning Council. In 1910, he concluded disease carriers shouldn't be kept in isolation and concluded that Mary Mallon ("Typhoid Mary") should be freed from quarantine, with the promise to help her find work as a domestic but not as a cook. When the original Antitoxin Laboratory in Albany began to fall into disrepair, he petitioned the state for financial assistance to relocate the laboratory animals to a farm. In 1913, he got the funding and the Department purchased a farm in Guilderland, later known as Griffin Laboratory.[5]
Porter served as Commissioner until January 1914.
Porter was a member of the
Porter died at his home in Upper Lislie on August 11, 1929.[9] He was buried in Upper Lislie Cemetery.[8]
References
- ^ a b c Marquis, Albert Nelson, ed. (1926). Who's Who in America. Vol. 14. Chicago, I.L.: The A. N. Marquis Company. p. 1547 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Biography". The Chironian. Vol. XV, no. 4. New York, N.Y. 15 January 1899. p. 75 – via Google Books.
- ^ The American Blue Book of Biography. Chicago, I.L.: Men of Nineteen-Twelve. 1913. pp. 495–496 – via Google Books.
- ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1913). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company. pp. 60–61 – via Google Books.
- ^ "A History of New York State's Health Commissioners". www.health.ny.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1915). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 679 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Malcolm, James, ed. (1921). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company. pp. 218–220 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Dr. Eugene H. Porter". Whitney's Point Reporter. Vol. LVII, no. 3. Whitney's Point, N.Y. 22 August 1929. p. 6 – via Digital Archives of the Mary L. Wilcox Memorial Library.
- ^ a b "Died Suddenly Sunday Night". Whitney's Point Reporter. Vol. LVII, no. 2. Whitney's Point, N.Y. 15 August 1929 – via Digital Archives of the Mary L. Wilcox Memorial Library.