Brookland-Cayce High School EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME
MR. JAMES PORTER Inducted 2002
Mr. James Porter grew up in West Columbia, and attended schools in Lexington County School District 2. He graduated from Brookland-Cayce High School in 1951, and received a degree in Secondary Education at the University of South Carolina in 1956. Following graduation, he entered the military where he served for 2 years. Mr. Porter began teaching at B-C High School under Mr. William Parish in 1958. That first year, his 9-month salary was $2580. He taught history and government and served for a time as Head of the Social Studies Department. Jim became Assistant Principal in 1969. He attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and received a Master's Degree in Administration in 1970. While he was Assistant Principal, one of his special interests was buildings and grounds. He was always on call, and many nights, you would find him meeting the police and securing the grounds after the alarms went off. Jim built a special rapport with the custodial staff and with many teachers. He was interested in the welfare of the people who worked at B-C, and did much to ensure that the building and grounds were conducive to the education that took place there. Jim's long time hobby was horticulture, and he pursued that hobby at the Riverbanks Zoo and Botannical Gardens after his retirement in 1988. Because he was such a great volunteer, he eventually became an employee of the Botannical Gardens. Jim collected rare and unusual plants for his own garden, and had a beautiful collection of antiques in his home. In reminiscing about teaching when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Jim remarked that "I enjoyed teaching so much, I could not imagine being paid to do it, and I did not realize the impact on my students until years later when they returned to tell me of my influence on their lives."

Return to EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME Page