History

Club History Downloard (.xls 241KB)

History - OUHMC Life Members Sir Arthur Porritt (10 August 1910 - 1 January 1994) Place of Birth: Wanganui, NZ High School: Wanganui Collegiate University of Otago (1920 - 1923) - Medical Student OUHC Club Member (1920-1923) Rhodes Scholarship - 1923 Magdalen College, Oxford (1924-1926) - Medical Student
Sir Arthur represented New Zealand at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris in 1924. Porritt won a Bronze medal in the 100m sprint, the winner was Harold Abrahams. This race was later immortalised in the film "Chariots of Fire". However, such was Porritt's modesty that his name was changed to Tom Watson. Porritt was the captain of the NZ Olympic team at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, but withdrew from the 100m due to injury.
Porritt managed the NZ team at the Commonwealth Games (then the Empire Games) in 1934 in London and the Olympic team in Berlin in 1936. Porritt served as the New Zealand member on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1934-1967 and was the first President of the IOC Medical Committee (1961-1967).
He was King's Surgeon to George VI from 1946 to 1952, and was Sergeant-Surgeon to Queen Elizabeth II until 1967. Porritt 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. 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 hometown 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 born in New Zealand. His term marked a turning-point in the country's constitutional history: his successors have all been New Zealanders (although one of his predecessors, Lord Freyberg, moved to New Zealand when he was two). Lord Porritt died in London at the age of 93.
Life member (pre 1970) If anyone has any info about any of the following please contact the club. - W. Alistair Stewart - Prof. J.B. Mackie - Prof Angus Ross - Rev. A. McG Kirkwood 1978: John Borland Otago University 1948-1953 & 1969-1978 Last President of OUAAC (1977) First secretary of OUSA Sports Council Served on NZUSU Blues Panel for many years Life member NZUSU 1993: Neil Sutherland Otago Centre Delegate 1982, 92-94, 96 Club Secretary 1993-2001 Club Treasurer 1995-2001 2001: Glenn Boyle Athletics Otago Handicapper for many years Athletics Otago Cross Country Committee for many years 2005: Alice Baker Club member 2002-2006 Club Captain 2003 Treasurer 2004 Secretary 2004-2006 OUSA Club of the Year 2005/2006 OUSA Blues Panel Member 2005-2006 OUSA Sports Administration Blue 2005 Athletics Otago Cross Country Committee 2006 2005: Nic Browne Club Member 2000-2005 Men's Captain 2002 Club Secretary/Treasurer 2002/2003 Event Manager Clock Tower Race/Lovelock Relays 2002-2005 Athletics Otago Cross Country Committee 2003 Athletics Otago Management Committee 2003-2005 Athletics Otago Track and Field Committee 2003-2005 Athletics Otago Results Steward 2003-2005 OUHC Website creator/administrator 2003-2005 OUHC President 2004 OUSA Sports Administration Blue 2004 Athletics NZ Delegate for Otago 2004-2005 Creator of Southern Universities Challenge with University Canterbury (contested over Hagley Relays, Lovelock Relays and Timaru Gorges Relay) Athletics Otago website administrator 2005 Creator of Castle Street Mile 2005 OUSA Blue 2005
2008: Sam Kidd Club Member 2005-08 Club Committee Member 2006-08 Secretary 2007-08 Event Director - Lovelock Relays 2007-08 Event Director - Bezett Jewellers Clock Tower Race 2007-08 Athletics Otago Management Committee 2007-08 Athletics Otago Athlete Liason Officer 2008 Maintained Club Web Site/History 2007-08 OUSA Sports Administration Blue 2007 OUSA Blue 2008

Last Updated: Tuesday, 21-Oct-2008 3:26 PM