Артур Порритт: Врач, спортсмен и генерал-губернатор Новой Зеландии

New Zealand physician

Colonel Arthur Espie Porritt, Baron Porritt, (10 August 1900 – 1 January 1994) was a New Zealand physician, military surgeon, statesman and athlete. He won a bronze medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the 100 m sprint. He served as the 11th governor general of New Zealand from 1967 to 1972.

Porritt was born in Whanganui, New Zealand, the son of Ivy Elizabeth Porritt (née McKenzie) and Ernest Edward Porritt, a doctor. His mother died in 1914 during his first year at the Wanganui Collegiate School, and his father left soon after to serve in World War I. He became a keen athlete. In 1920 Porritt began studying towards a medical degree at the University of Otago where he was a resident at Selwyn College and President of the Selwyn College Students' Association. In 1923 Porritt was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, and he studied medicine from 1924 to 1926 at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Porritt represented New Zealand at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, where he won a bronze medal in the 100 metre dash; the winner was Harold Abrahams (1899–1978). The race took place at 7 pm on 7 July 1924. Abrahams and Porritt dined together at 7 pm on 7 July every year thereafter, until Abrahams' death. The race was later immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire, but due to Porritt's modesty his name was changed to "Tom Watson". He also won two qualifying races in the 200 m, but did not advance in the semi final. Porritt was captain of the New Zealand team at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam but withdrew from the 100 m because of an injury. After retirement from athletics, Porritt was New Zealand's team manager at the 1934 British Empire Games in London and 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He was the first President of the IOC Medical Commission and served from 1961 to 1967. Porritt served as chairman of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation from the 1950 Auckland games to the 1966 Kingston games.

Porritt became a house surgeon at St Mary's Hospital, London, in 1926 and later that year was appointed surgeon to the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII. On 8 March 1940, Porritt was commissioned a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps with the service number 125494. He relinquished this position and his brigadier's rank on 1 September 1945, by which time he was a war substantive lieutenant colonel. He ended his military career in September 1956, with the honorary rank of colonel in the Territorial Army. Porritt was King's Surgeon to George VI from 1946 to 1952, and was Serjeant Surgeon to Queen Elizabeth II until 1967. Porritt was twice president of the Hunterian Society (once in 1951) and became president in 1960 of both the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the first person to hold the two positions simultaneously, and retained the presidency of the RCS until 1963. He was decorated as an Officer of the US Legion of Merit on 14 November 1947. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) in 1950, and was promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1967. In 1957 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO), being promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) in 1970. He was also made a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in 1957. Porritt was created a Baronet of Hampstead on 25 January 1963. When he was elevated to be a Life Peer on 5 February 1973, he chose to honour his home town and was created Baron Porritt, of Wanganui in New Zealand and of Hampstead in Greater London.

In 1967 Porritt returned to New Zealand to be appointed by the Queen on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Holyoake as the 11th Governor General of New Zealand, and the first to be born in New Zealand.