Archives Gold #31: 50 Objects for UMBC's 50th

Thu, 05 May 2016 13:38:38 -0400
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Special Collections continues our archival project Archives Gold: 50 Objects for UMBC's 50th, a special series showcasing 50 different objects that tell the story of UMBC. This week we present two video tapes from the Fifth and Fourth Annual Keith Porter Lectures on Cell Biology and a schedule of Porterfest.

Keith R. Porter Lecture Series Sponsored by the American Society for Cell Biology Video Cassette Tapes, 1986. Keith Porter Papers, Coll 018, University Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD)

Keith R. Porter was a UMBC professor from 1984 to 1987, serving as chair in the Biological Sciences department. Porter had a distinguished career. He was known as one of the founders of the modern science of cell biology and was instrumental in the founding of the American Society for Cell Biology. Since its inception, the American Society for Cell Biology, has hosted annual lectures named in memory of Keith Porter, during which an eminent cell biologist is awarded recognition by the society.

To celebrate Porter's 75th birthday on June 11, 1987 and to mark his retirement as chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC designated June 19, 1987 as Keith Porter day. The university invited Porter's former students, post-docs, colleagues, and other friends to join in a celebratory banquet in Porter's honor known as Porterfest. A schedule of the event can be seen below.

Porterfest 87 Schedule, 1987. Keith Porter Papers, Coll 018, University Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD)

Check out the new exhibit on Keith Porter in the Library Gallery entitled The Glass Knife!

Learn More:

-History of UMBC Research Guide

-University Archives Webpage

-Keith Porter Papers Finding Aid

-Article in The Retriever (Volume 19, Number 14) "Porter Appointed Distinguished Professor"

-Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility at UMBC