Charles Porter

Charles Hunt Porter

• High School Quincy (MA) High School

• Born April 3, 1843 in Weymouth, MA USA
• Died August 10, 1911 in Quincy, MA USA

Biographical Information

Charles Porter served as president of the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association in 1873. His term at the helm was a successful one. He replaced John Conkey, who had to give up the position after the team showed a financial loss in spite of winning the league championship in 1872. In 1873, the Red Stockings repeated as champions, and the club also turned a small profit.

A descendant of the original Pilgrims who settled Massachusetts, he grew up in Quincy, MA, near Boston, MA. He served in the 39th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War, obtaining the rank of lieutenant. He then worked as an insurance broker.

He was an associate of other young Boston businessmen of the time, including Ivers Adams and Cokey, who were elected President and Vice-President, respectively, when the Boston Base Ball Association was formed in 1871. After succeeding Conkey in 1873, he led a successful drive to recruit new season-ticket holders and to persuade more businessmen to invest in the club. Porter was re-elected President in 1874, but declined the position and became a team director instead. That year, he also umpired one of the team's games on May 9th. He then served another short period as president, a three-week interim in 1876 between Nicholas Apollonio and Arthur Soden.

He later continued to work insurance, eventually heading the W. Porter and Company insurance firm. He was also elected to various positions in Quincy, as state representative and mayor. He returned to baseball in 1889 with the creation of the Players League, being recruited to be the titular president of the Boston Reds. That team also won a league championship, but the entire league collapsed after only one season.

Related Sites

• Charles Porter at the SABR Bio Project
• Charles Porter at Retrosheet.org