Many years ago on February 28, 1880 a little boy was born in Montgomery County, Indiana. This child was called Billy, and little did his parents know he would grow up to be one of Henry High School's most beloved principals. He was a smart little kid and followed his dream of being a teacher in Crawford, Indiana when he was 20 years old.
Sometime in the next few years he was married to a woman named Velda, who would later become a public school teacher, too. They had a son, Wm. A. Jr. who was born in 1909. They moved several times, first to Des Moines, Iowa., then Indianapolis, Indiana, and finally to Minneapolis, where they lived at 3100 Lyndale Ave. S.
William Porter became the first principal of Patrick Henry, which was built in 1926 and served as a junior high school. There was an enrollment of 600 pupils with 18 classrooms. Additions were made in 1928, 1929, and 1939, but it was in 1937 that it became a junior\senior high school, with an enrollment of 1700 pupils, and the first freshmen class graduated in 1941. William Porter was principal from 1927 to 1948, and he was loved by all!
Oh, there was something very unique about him alright. He not only wanted his students to get a good education but he wanted them to have fun while doing it. He made sure there were always fun activities going on, like pep rallies before the games and movies in the auditorium at lunch time, where you could eat your lunch while watching the movie. Every Friday there was an after school dance, where you could brush up on the Lindy Hop. And then there was the "special day," Sadie Hawkin's Day, where there were frivolities going on all day long, ending with a dance where the girls got to choose their partners.
On a more serious side, he wrote an article in the school's yearbook The Orator in 1941 entitled, "Youth and Our Democracy." Here is what he said: "The vigorous spirit of youth has established and maintained our democracy in the past and it is that same indomitable spirit that will defend and preserve our democracy for the future. Moreover, our young people are more awake to the difficulties to be overcome than many of the older folks realize. The obstacles that lie in their path are very real to them. Educators observe very keenly the tendency of thoughtful youngsters to brush aside many of the non-essentials in their endeavor to forge ahead. On the other hand, youth works very assiduously on any problem that seems to be helping them in their educational progress. This eternal search for the essentials practiced by our young people is most encouraging and bids well for the future of our democracy."
In honor of Wm. Porter, an athletic complex was named after him at the school at 4320 Newton Ave. N. He passed away Sept. 24, 1959 at the age of 79.