Richard Valentine Porritt (February 14, 1901 – 1985) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

mining industry executive and an inductee to the

Canadian Mining Hall of Fame The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame was conceived by Maurice R. Brown as a way to honor Canada's mine finders and builders, in recognition of accomplishments by leaders in the Canadian mining industry. The Hall was established in 1988; in 2023 it ha ...

. Porritt was born 14 February 1901 in Simcoe,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Richard was the fourth child of Frederick Richard Porritt and Honora Frances Bolster. Frederick had immigrated from England in 1880 and appears in the Canadian 1881 census as living at Turtle Mountain, South Western Extension, Manitoba with his two brothers, Frederick and Herbert. Richard's mother and father married on 15 August 1894 in Orillia, Ontario. They appear in the 1911 census living in Simcoe south, Ontario Canada. Richard attended the

Royal Military College of Canada The Royal Military College of Canada (), abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a Military academy#Canada, military academy and, since 1959, a List of universities in Canada#Ontario, degree-granting university of the Canadian ...

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joining on 28 July 1917 aged 16 and graduated 23 June 1920. He was student number 1309. Afterwards, he attended

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in mining in 1922. He worked as a miner at British America Nickel and then at International Nickel Company's Creighton mine in

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario ** Sudbury (federal electoral district) ** Sudbury (provincial electoral district) ** Sudbury Airport ** Sudbury Basin, a meteorite impact cra ...

. He worked as a surveyor at

Noranda Mines Noranda Mines, Limited, and from 1984 onwards Noranda Inc., was a mining and metallurgy company originally from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada. It was listed on the TSX under the symbol NRD.LV. After eventually acquiring a large interest in rival ...

for 48 years from 1926 to 1974. He brought the Waite-Amulet mine near Rouyn,

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

into production in 1927. In 1955, he was general manager of Noranda subsidiary Gaspé Copper Mines during the development and startup of the Gaspé copper mine in eastern Quebec. Porritt was appointed general manager of Gaspé Copper, a Noranda subsidiary, in September, 1952. In 1964, he became president of Noranda and vice-chairman in 1968 before retiring in 1974. He died in 1985, eleven years after retirement.

References

Richard Porritt's biography at the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame
1901 births 1985 deaths Royal Military College of Canada alumni McGill University alumni Businesspeople from Ontario Canadian mining businesspeople People from Norfolk County, Ontario {{Mining-bio-stub