Porter was a prominent banker and lawyer who settled in Bullitt County after receiving his law degree from the Brandeis School of Law in 1966. He was one of the longest serving members of UofL’s Board of Trustees, serving five terms as chairman. He also was past chairman of the UofL Foundation and a former member of the UofL Athletics Association board.
UofL President James Ramsey credited Porter with being a visionary, leading UofL through the 1997 Postsecondary Education Reform Act, the strategic planning process that followed and other sometimes controversial moves that sparked UofL’s upward trajectory.
“Chester was a dreamer, but Chester was also a doer,” Ramsey said.
The president also praised Porter’s ability to bring folks together and his donations to UofL.
“He would always put first what was in the best interests of the university and work with us to achieve that goal” the president said.
