Sir Arthur Porritt

Born Wanganui 1900, died 1 January 1994 London. Olympian 12.

Porritt earned the Olympic 100m sprint bronze medal at Paris in 1924, behind the legendary Harold Abrahams and Jackson Scholz. That final has been made more famous by the award-winning film Chariots of Fire. Porritt was New Zealand team captain and flag-bearer at Paris.

He was second in his heat, quarter-final and semi-final before claiming the bronze, becoming the only New Zealander to win an Olympic sprint medal. He also competed in the 200m in Paris where he won his heat and quarter-final, but finished fifth in the semi-final missing out on the final.

Also in 1924 in Warsaw at the World Student Games he won gold in the 100m and 200m and silver in the 110m hurdles.

Interestingly he won only one New Zealand title, the 100 yards in 1923, the same year that he was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to study medicine at Oxford University.

He became a house surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital, London in 1936 and later that year was appointed surgeon to the Duke of York, who soon afterwards was crowned king. He was promoted to King’s Surgeon from 1946-52, and was Sergeant-Surgeon to the Queen until 1967. He was a much-honoured surgeon and became president of the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Medical Association.
He was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1934 to 1967, and from 1961 to 1967 first President of the IOC Medical Commission. He was later made a Life Member of the Committee.

During World War II Porritt served in Europe and Africa. He became consultant surgeon to the 21st Army Group, which had a role in the Normandy landings and was at Dunkirk when the evacuation was completed. He was awarded the US Legion of Merit for his services during World War II.

Porritt was manager of the 1934 New Zealand team to the Empire Games in London and was chairman of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation, serving for 18 years.

In 1936 he was the New Zealand Olympic team manager to Berlin and made the famous decision advising Jack Lovelock to by-pass the 5000m and run the 1500m which he won in world record time.
He presented Olympic gold medals to Yvette Williams (1952), Murray Halberg (1960) and Peter Snell (1960 and 1964).

Porritt was knighted in 1950 and became a baronet in 1963. When he was elevated to the Peerage in 1973, he chose to honour his home town and became Lord Porritt of Wanganui and Hampstead. He was an active member of the British House of Lords for 20 years.

Porritt was the first New Zealand-born Governor-General from 1967 to 1972.

In Christchurch a park was named Porritt Park in the suburb of Wainoni. Porritt Primary School in Napier opened in 1975, named in honour of his service to New Zealand, and Porritt Stadium Hamilton is named after him.
Porritt was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Written by Murray McKinnon