Roy Porter

Roy Porter (31 December 1946 to 3 March 2002) was a British historian noted for his work on the history of medicine. He grew up in South London and attended Wilson's grammar school in Camberwell.

Related Topics:
31 December - 1946 - 3 March - 2002 - British - Historian - History of medicine - South London - Camberwell

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He won a scholarship to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied under J. H. Plumb. His contemporaries included Simon Schama and Geoffrey Wheatcroft. He achieved a double starred first and became a junior Fellow in 1968, studying under Robert M. Young. In 1972, he moved to Churchill College as a tutor of History, later becoming Dean. He received his doctorate in 1974, publishing a thesis on the history of geology.

Related Topics:
Christ's College - Cambridge - J. H. Plumb - Simon Schama - Geoffrey Wheatcroft - Fellow - 1968 - Robert M. Young - Churchill College - Doctorate - Geology

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In 1979 he joined the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine (part of the Wellcome Trust) as a lecturer. In 1993 he became Professor of Social History at the Institute. He retired in September 2001, and suffered a fatal heart attack five months later.

Related Topics:
Wellcome Trust - 2001

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Porter wrote or edited over 100 books. In addition to the history of medicine and other sciences, he specialised in the social history of eighteenth-century Britain and the Enlightenment. He also wrote and lectured on the history of London.

Related Topics:
Social history - Britain - Enlightenment - London

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