ROYAL COMMISSION ON HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS
Report on correspondence and papers of
RODNEY ROBERT PORTER
(1917-1985)
biochemist
deposited in the
Bodleian Library, Oxford
(CSAC 119/1/87)
by
Reproduced for the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre
(NRA 29902)
THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS
Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane
All rights reserved
No 87/8
London
WC2A 1HP
1987
CSAC 119/1/87
CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC ARCHIVES CENTRE
British National Committee for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology
under the guidance of the Royal Society’s
Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of
RODNEY ROBERT PORTER CH,
FRS
(1917 - 1985)
Compiled by
Jeannine Alton and Peter Harper
1987
Deposited in the Bodleian Library, Oxford
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
The work of the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre, and the
production of this catalogue, are made possible by the support of the following
societies and institutions:
The Biochemical Society
The Charles Babbage Foundation for the History of Information
Processing
The Institute of Physics
The Institution of Electrical Engineers
The Nuffield Foundation
The Rhodes Trustees
The Royal Society of London
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Wolfson Foundation
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
—
NOT ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE COLLECTION IS YET
AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION. ENQUIRIES SHOULD
BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO:
BODLEIAN LIBRARY,
THE KEEPER OF WESTERN MANUSCRIPTS,
OXFORD
R.R. Porter
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LIST OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SECTION A
BIOGRAPHICAL
SECTION B
RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS
With an introductory note
SECTION C
OXFORD
SECTION D
ORGANISATIONS & CONSULTANCIES
List of contents
SEGHIOIN: FE
SECTION G
CORRESPONDENCE
SECTION E
VISITS & CONFERENCES
JOURNALS & PUBLICATIONS
With an introductory note
INDEX OF CORRESPOND ENTS
R.R. Porter
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INTRODUCTION
PROVENANCE
The bulk of the material was received through the courtesy of Dr. K.B.M. Reid
from the MRC Immunochemistry Unit at the Department of Biochemistry, Oxford.
The wartime letters at A.9-A.16, and a
little biographical material, were
received from Mrs. Julia Porter, who retains some additional documents, principally
relating to the award of the Nobel Prize, photographs and memorabilia.
The tributes and recollections at A.3-A.7 were assembled and made available
by Dr. Lisa Steiner.
OUTLINE OF THE CAREER OF R.R. PORTER
Porter, one of the most distinguished protein chemists and immunologists in
1939;
the outbreak of World War II interrupted the doctoral research he began there and
Martin;
this was the period of hfs first crucial research on antibodies.
In 1960 Porter became the
first holder of the Pfeizer Professorship of Immunology
His
He returned to research at Cambridge as the first graduate student of F. Sanger.
He
Porter served in the Royal Engineers until December 1945, rising to the rank of major.
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, collaborating with A. J.P.
Britain, was born and educated in Lancashire, graduating from Liverpool University in
obtained his doctorate in 1948 and the following year joined the scientific staff of the
research interests moved to the components of complement, particularly Cl and C4,
became vacant on the retirement of Sir Hans Krebs, Porter was invited to accept the
Medical Research Council and in
large part from the American National Science Foundation
at St. Mary's Hospital - the first Chair of Immunology to be created in Britain.
and the National Institutes of Health.
When the Whitley Chair of Biochemistry at Oxford
appointment, which he held from 1967 until his death.
During the Oxford period Porter's
continuing research on antibody structure at this time was helped by funding from the
R.R. Porter
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in the MRC Immunochemistry Unit which he founded and directed.
His career was
as active and
productive as it had ever been when,
three weeks before his retirement
/
from the Whitley Chair and the start of full-time commitment to research as the Director
of the Immunochemistry Unit, he was killed in a road accident on 6 September 1985.
Porter received many honours and distinctions, nationally and internationally.
He was elected to the Royal Society (1964) and to Honorary membership of the National
Academy of Sciences (1973); he received the Ciba Medal of the Biochemical Society and
a Royal Medal of the Royal Society (1973).
In 1972 he received the highest scientific
honour when he shared with G. Edelman the Nobel Prize for Medicine, and in 1985
became a Companion of Honour in the Birthday Honours.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
The papers are presented in the order shown in the List of Contents.
Additional
to maiters of particular substance or interest.
considered to be of immediate relevance.
* ment from the Whitley Chair of Biochemistry and transfer to full-time research at the
MRC Immunochemistry Unit.
seems to have involved wholesale
destruction of unwanted or outdated files and the retention only of material which he
This, unfortunately,
Porter spent much of his time in the summer of 1985 preparing for his retire -
explanatory notes accompany many of the sections, sub-sections and individual entries
in the body of the catalogue.
The following paragraphs aim only at drawing attention
a complete sequence of research notebooks covering almost half a century (1936 ~ 1985)
during his army service (A.9-A.16) and some of the recollections of Porter by colleagues
and friends (A.3, A.4).
The collection is in consequence thin in certain respects and skewed towards
Section B
is of the greatest scientific interest;
it preserves
has also suffered.
Of special personal interest is the sequence of Porter's letters home
the later stages of Porter's career.
This applies especially to Sections E (Visits and
Conferences) and F (Journals and Publications);
the surviving correspondence in Section G
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and providing not only a record of experiments and observations but a direct insight into
Porter's methods of work and especially his tenacity over long periods of trial and disap-
pointment.
The books document the early (B.5, B.15) and later successful stages (B.21,
B.23) of the work on crystalline papain, the work on complement, and Porter's last
research ideas (B.37) which continue to form the basis of ongoing experiments.
Section D
(Organisations and Consultancies), though confined to material of recent date, is also of
interest in documenting Porter's continuing service to academic and industrial medical
research and his interest in the history of British immunology as shown in his work for the
Jenner Trust.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to all those who made material available, to Mr. A. Dodds for
information, and in particular to Dr. K.B.M. Reid and Dr. Lisa Steiner for advice and
encouragement.
Peter Harper
_ Jeannine Alton
Oxford 1987
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SECTION A
BIOGRAPHICAL A.I - A.52
Ait, Asa
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
A.3 -A.7A
OBITUARIES AND RECOLLECTIONS
A.8 -A.49
CAREER AND HONOURS
A.50-A. 52
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
A.)
Miscellaneous cvs, outlines of career and work prepared by or for
Porter, various dates, 1968-80.
Lists of Porter's publications.
OBITUARIES AND RECOLLECTIONS
colleague of Porter.
Articles and obituaries (photocopies):
This material was assembled and made available by Dr.
Lisa Steiner, an American
Bioscience Reports: article about Porter by C.A
by P.A.-Small and J.B
Fleischman;
Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Spring 1986:
workshop by Porter, article about Porter by J.B. Fleischman;
Continued
Journal of Immunological Methods (A.P. Johnstone, M.A. Kerr, M.W.
Turner);
Journal of Immunogenetics (C. Milstein);
Immunology Today (K.B.M. Reid);
article on antibody
Pasternak, and articles
European Journal of Immunology (N.A. Mitchison)
TIBS (J. Humphrey);
Journal
of Immunology (J B. Fleischman);
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Biographical
(S. Cohen);
BioEssays
Immunological Reviews (G. Maller);
Nature (L.A. Steiner);
unknown journal (M. Carroll);
Tributes to Porter published. in the Biochemical Society Bulletin, December
1985, by E.S. Lennox (funeral address), and $.V. Perry (memorial
service address).
Anecdotes and remembrances (photocopies) from:
Carlos Abel;
Ronald Acton;
Christian Anfinsen;
Paul Beeson;
Walter
Bodmer;
Donald Capra;
Sydney Cohen;
Melvin Cohn;
Michael
Crumpton;
John Edsall;
John Fabre;
H. Fraenkel-Corat;
David Givol;
1.C. Gunsalus;
Edgar Haber;
Simon Hunt;
Henri Isliker;
Michael Kerr;
S.V. Perry;
Emil Smith;
Amold Sanderson;
Inge von Zabern.
Jeremy Knowles;
Joel Mandelstam;
Roger Morris;
Hans Neurath;
A.M. Pappenheimer;
Karl Schmid;
S.J. Singer;
Lisa Steiner;
The Antibody Workshop.
"Rodney Porter and the Jenner Museum'.
9pp. typescript account by Lisa Steiner, prepared for the exhibition on
Porter's work at the Jenner Museum, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, 1986
(photocopy).
See also G.1-G.4.
This was an informal group of researchers whose first meetings in February
and July 1959 proved a valuable means of discussing work in progress
among investigators of widely divergent backgrounds and led to a continu-
ing programme of meetings, usually in America but exceptionally elsewhere.
Porter was a co-founder and a member of the 'steering’ committee.
Folder includes brief history of the Antibody Workshop, funding appeal (to
National Science Foundation), proposed future meetings and budget,
correspondence 1962-65 on organisation and programme of meetings.
Photocopies passed to Dr. Steiner by H.N. Eisen.
Porter's own account of the Antibody Workshop appeared in Perspectives in
Biology
and Medicine, Spring 1986.
See E.9-E.11.
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Biographical
Transcript and tape of a talk by Porter to the American Society of Biological
Chemists, April 1973.
(National Science Foundation) and transcribed without editing.
The tape was sent to Lisa Steiner by K. Engel
Porter's talk, which is on his work on complement, concludes with recol ~
lections of the financial and other support he had received from American
sources.
There is a brief introduction and conclusion by J.T. Edsall.
'A history of the solution of the structure of antibodies - a personal view’.
Fragment only, of an account Porter was writing at the time of his death,
describing his early research at Liverpool and Cambridge.
Photocopies of photographs of Porter, family and colleagues, assembled
by Dr. Steiner for the Historical Exhibition of the Biochemical Society
1986.
Miscellaneous additional photocopied photographs of Porter and colleagues.
(Late addition received from Dr. Steiner.)
CAREER AND HONOURS
School and University
A.8
Oxford Local Examinations, School Certificate, 1933.
Porter's recollections of Ashton Grammar School, 1927-35, contributed in
1977 for a special edition of the school magazine to mark its replacement
Letter notifying award of Johnston Colonial Fellowship in Biochemistry,
University of Liverpool, 1939.
by a comprehensive school .
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Second World War
Biographical
Porter's letters home during his service in Britain, North Africa and Europe,
December 1940-December 1945;
includes a few letters from Porter's brother
Geoffrey, also serving in the Army.
Not all the letters are fully dated, nor are the postmarks always legible;
they are presented in chronological order where possible from content,
name of station, rank etc.
A.9
December 1940 (one letter only)
January-June 194]
| HiyeAsous 194]
September -December 1941
January-February 1942
July-December 1942
1944
Italy
1945
ltaly, Greece, Austria
Doctoral Thesis
RAT
1943
North Africa, Sicily
'The free amino groups of proteins', Cambridge, 1948.
speech on receipt of prize, etc.
'Papers from the Department of Immunology, St. Mary's Hospital Medical
School 1961~-68', by Porter and colleagues, with an index numbered 1-74.
Immunology Department, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School
Notification of award (% 25,000), travel arrangements for presentation in
Toronto, November 1966, press announcement, schedule of events,
Porter's
Award of Merit, The Gairdner Foundation
A.18
A.19
Bound volume.
z
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Biographical
Oxford: the Whitley Chair of Biochemistry
A.20
Correspondence with Registrar, November 1966-February 1967, re appoint~
ment, staff and arrangements.
Porter was invited by the Electors 'to consider occepting the appointment’
on the retirement of H.A. Krebs.
accommodation, transfer of staff, continuation of MRC support, he accepted
the post on 25 January 1967.
After visits and correspondence re
Folder includes Oxford University Gazette, 9 February 1967, with notice of
appointment.
A.21-A.25
Letters of caligettulatons
A.2]
A.22
A-C
Est
A.23
- M-Q
A.24
R-W
Unidentified.
A.25
Also included here are letters of congratulation
(2 oly) on award of the Ciba Medal of the Biochemical Society, announced
shortly before the Oxford appointment, February 1967.
A.26
A.27
A.28
Academy, 1976-85.
Honours and awards 1972
A.26~-A. 28
Letters and cables of congratulation.
Cable and correspondence re election.
National Academy of Sciences.
Porter was elected a Foreign Associate in April 1972.
Brief correspondence only, re election in June 1972.
Corresponding member, Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Shorter correspondence and information on affairs of the
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A.30-A. 33
The Nobel Prize
Biographical
The material surviving here is mainly arrangements for interviews, films,
articles, etc. consequent on the announcement of the Prize.
Additional
material remains in family hands.
A.30
Brief correspondence on journey to Stockholm and ceremony.
A.3]
Corporation.
Arrangements for films for BBC TV, Swedish Broadcasting
é
Interview for Chemistry
in Britain;
A.32
view, heavily corrected by Porter, brief correspondence.
is
of the Nobel. Prize in Medicine.
a published article on the work of Porter and G. Edelman, joint winners
transcript of taped inter-
Also included
Requests for biographical information for articles.
A.33
Also
included here is brief later correspondence, 1977, re group photograph
of British Nobel Laureates in science.
Honours and awards 1973
A.34
Royal Medal of the Royal Society, 1973.
Honorary Doctorate, University of Livepool, November 1973.
Also included is brief correspondence bestowing Life Membership of Guild
of Undergraduates of the University.
_Correspondence on conferral of degree, travel arrangements, schedule
of academic and social events, text of Porter's speech to students.
Includes some correspondence with colleagues and old friends, especially
re private dinner arranged for H.J. Channon (Porter's Professor as under~
graduate).
Notification of award, letters of congratulation.
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Honours and awards 1974
Biographical
A.36
Honorary Fellowship, Royal College of Physicians.
Correspondence re election, letters of congratulation.
Honorary Doctorate, University of Hull, July 1974.
The degree was first offered in 1972 for conferral in 1973 at a date which
Porter was unable to accept; he attended the following year.
Correspondence on conferral, academic and social events, text of Porter's
speech to graduates.
Honours and awards 1976
A.38
Honorary Fellowship, Royal Society of Edinburgh, March.
Letter of notification.
Honorary Doctorate, University of St. Andrews, July.
Honours and awards 1980-83
A.40
European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
Correspondence on conferral, travel arrangements, schedules of
academic and social events, brief correspondence from colleagues.
Letters of election to Academy December 1980, brief later corres-
pondence.
gratulation.
Correspondence re candidature;
research’.
Honorary Fellowship, Pembroke College, Cambridge, February 1983.
Foreign Membership, Académie Nationale de Médecine, Paris, 1981.
includes Porter's 2pp. ‘Summary of
Correspondence re election, arrangements to visit,
letters of con~
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:
Biographical
A.43-A.45
The Copley Medal of the Royal Society, 1983.
A.43
Letter of notification, arrangements to receive medal awarded
‘in recognition of your elucidation of the structure of immunoglobulins and
of the reactions involved in activating the complement system of proteins’.
Letters of congratulation:
A.44
ae hh
P
- Z and unidentified.
Honours and awards 1985
A.46
Arcades.
Brief information only, re Oxford members.
Honorary Membership, British Society for Immunology.
Honorary Membership, Biochemical Society.
Brief correspondence only.
Retirement
A.49
Letter of notification, arrangements for announcement at meeting of
Society, November 1985.
Programme and brief correspondence re Biochemical Society 'Symposium —
in honour of R.R. Porter' on 'Genes and proteins in immunity', held
in Oxford 18-19 July 1985.
(Porter was killed on 6 September .)
Correspondence and guest-list for dinner planned for 30 September 1985.
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MISCELLANEOUS
Biographical
A.50
'
Draft letter to The Times (not sent) on the importance of research at
universities, 1968.
Invitation to Lord Mayor of London's Midsummer Banquet, 1974.
Correspondence re retirement tributes and dinners for colleagues, 1979-83.
Miscellaneous requests to Porter for photographs or biographical information,
1972-81.
R.R. Porter
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SECTION B
RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS
B.1 - 8.38
B.1-B.38 is a sequence of hardbacked laboratory notebooks of conventional
though not uniform type.
They may occasionally include notes on the literature, or of
lectures attended, but their principal use was to record experimental results and Porter's
reflections on them, with suggestions for further work by Porter himself or his collaborators,
comments on the
progress of a line of work and sometimes a narrative account.
Entries
are made in ink, pencil and ballpoint, with frequent intercalated figures, question marks,
arrows and balloons, and comments such as 'repeat', 'try again', 'looks hopeless'.
Not
all the entries are dated, though most of the books have Porter's name, sometimes an
address, and a starting date on the flyleaf.
The books (except B.3, B.7) are not paginated
or indexed, and both ends are frequently used.
With the exception of B.11, B.29, which
are collaborators' notebooks, all the work is
in Porter's autograph manuscript.
Early attempts at papain digest in 1948 and 1953 are documented in B.5 and
B.15; the later, successful experiments of 1957-58 are in B.21, B.23.
Porter's research
on complement is
in B.34-B.38.
B.1
‘Chemistry.
Inorganic 1936'.
These are followed by notes
in ink, a
At rear of book, 3pp. only 'Lecture Notes' of Liverpool period.
Liverpool University notebook, inscribed 'R.R. Porter.
Practical
At front of book, entries run October 1936-June 1938, all
few with initials of supervisor or tutor.
in pencil of later date, mainly on carbobenzoxy valine, Ip. dated '1/47'.
At rear of book, notes on preparations.
Most of the work starts at rear of book, with experiments and calcula~
tions.
Few pages only dated, June 1945, August, October 1946;
Ip. is headed 'Dr. F. Sanger’ (Porter's supervisor at Cambridge).
Spiral -back notebook, inscribed 'R.R. Porter Biochem. Dept. Cambridge’,
paginated 1-114 and 3 unnumbered pages.
Entries begin 16 January 1946;
few pages only dated 25 July, 30 August.
Army 'S.O.' Book inscribed 'R.R. Porter Major’.
At front of book, mainly notes on the literature.
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Research notebooks
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
Biochemical Lab. Cambridge’.
Work on myoglobin, lactoglobulin, pseudoglobulin.
2 December.
Ip. only dated
At rear of book, brief notes only.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
work’,
Entries begin 3 June 1947.
Biochem. Dept.
Immunological
Most of the work is at rear of book, with experiments, calculations,
narratives, some notes on the literature;
Few pages only dated 21 June, 10 July, 5 August, 6 September 1948.
includes work on papain.
Work preceding and following the date '6 September 1948' is on 'Papain
digest', the results being described by Porter as ‘looks hopeful’ and
the experiment being repeated.
Probably related to paper on ‘The
formation of a specific inhibitor by hydrolysis of rabbit antiovalbumin'
(Biochem.J., 46, 1950).
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter’.
Biochemical Laboratory Cambridge
Some pages dated January, February .
At rear of book, experiments on immunisation against egg albumin, April-
September 1948.
First entry on ‘Diphtheria toxin' dated 21 June 1947 and work continues
to December 1947.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
15 Dec. 1948', paginated 1-77 and many unnumbered pages.
P.1 has note of work 'On hand'.
1948 (probably error for 1949), March, April, July.
At rear of book, brief notes on buffers.
Work on penicillinase, ribonuclease and other enzymes.
dated;
dialysable ribonuclease. Bad experiment' is dated 'Mill Hill 15 Dec.
1948'; account of 'Prep. of ribonuclease’ is dated 16 January 1950.
At rear of book, brief notes only;
gammaglobulin.
Human’.
includes table of 'Amino acid analysis
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter' :
one account 'Unsuccessful attempt to repeat production of
Few pages
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Research notebooks
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
April 1950'.
First page has list
'8 August’.
of work 'to be done’; only one other page dated
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
28 June 1950'.
First dated entry is 3 July;
16 December 1952 (on 'Cathepsin'), 4 May 1953 and June 1953.
other entries dated 30 November 1950,
At rear of book, work on penicillinase, Ip. dated 17 July 1953.
Notebook labeled on cover ‘Practical Notebook.
paginated 1-119.
David G. Stern',
Detailed accounts of chromatography preparations, experiments, charts
and diagrams, all dated.
Entries run June 1950-6 June 1951.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
24/1/51'.
Work on ribonuclease, insulin, gamma-globulin, chymotrypsin, none
dated.
At rear of book, brief notes only on preparations.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
30 August 1951'.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
April 1952'.
Continuing work on chymotrypsin, growth hormone, insulin, pancreatic
residue, protein assays, propionic acid.
Continuing work on insulin partition, chymotrypsinogen, serum albumin.
Few pages only dated, 2 November, 1, 29 January 1952.
At rear of book, miscellaneous notes, table of substances.
on growth hormone 'received from Li 10/2/54', but most pages are undated.
- Several pages with various dates, September-December 1952, and note
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Research notebooks
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter’ and date altered from 'l Sept. 52'
to 'Sept. 53'.
Continuing work on insulin, gamma-globulin, bovine serum albumin,
various inhibitors and fractionation methods.
A few pages bear dates in October, December 1953, January-March 1954,
but most pages are undated.
On an undated page (after 28 October), is an experiment headed
K.B.M. Reid
"Digestion of Yglobulin Il with crystalline papain'.
(private communication, 1987) writes 'The experiment may have been
successful but the methods for fractionating the digest were not
available at that time’.
Government 'S.O.' notebook inscribed on cover 'R.R. Porter’ and dated
on inside cover 'l April 1954'.
Work mainly on gamma-globulin, tests on splenectomised rabbits.
Entries run April-October 1954.
At rear of book, miscellaneous other experiments on parathyroid hormone,
bovine serum albumin, mixed globulin, turnip yellow mosaic virus,
various dates, June-August 1954.
’ Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter’.
Several pages
Begins with work 'To be done’ (on rabbits) dated 10 September 1954.
Continuing work on pepsin, propanol and glycine and other enzyme
assays, ‘Insulin for Chiball', peroxidase, renin, etc.
dated October 1954-May 1955.
At rear of book, mainly work on Growth Hormone beginning 4 August 1954.
At rear of book, notes on preparation of DEAE cellulose.
Continuing work on antibodies by chromatography, goat antirabbit sera,
inhibitors.
Continuing work, mainly on rabbit gamma-globulin, preparation and
tests of inhibitor.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
15 November 1954'.
Entries (few dated) run November 1954-January 1956.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
7/1/56'.
Entries (few dated) run to December 1957.
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Research notebooks
Notebook, untitled.
Work on kidney enzymes, spleen, etc. in various preparations.
of book used.
Not all
Entries (few dated) run March-June 1957.
At rear of book, notes on pepsin autolysis.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
5 November 1957'.
Work on antibodies, fractionation, papain inhibitor, preparation of
crystalline papain.
~ Entries run November 1957-March 1958.
There is a slip of paper at
entry for 24 March noting significant stages in the work on papain.
Notebook, untitled.
Work on human serum albumin.
Anton)! *;
last page used has date '18/2/58'.
First page begins '20 January (after
At rear of book, brief notes and loose index cards.
* Anton = A. Holasek (Graz), a collaborator.
Entries run to March 1960.
There is a
list of important dates referred to in the:
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
14 April 1958".
Continuing work on rabbit gamma-globulin and crystalline papain.
Entries run April 1958-14 July 1959; entries for 1959 are not in Porter's
hand.
This book continues work in B.21 and records crucial stages of Porter's
research on papain.
book and a note of relevant publications enclosed inside front cover
(not in Porter's hand) and slips inserted in the body of the book at the
relevant dates.
pages of notes kot by Porter).
At rear of book, brief notes, March 1959, January 1960, and some loose
Continuing work on antibodies, pepsin, papain, ficin, trypsin.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
17 March 1959'.
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Research notebooks
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
29 February 1960'.
Work on bromusuccinamide, papain digest, human gamma-globulin,
horse gamma-globulin.
Entries (very few dated) run to 2 August, which is headed 'St. Mary's’
(Porter was appointed first Pfeizer Professor of Immunology, St. Mary's
Hospital Medical School, University of London, in 1960).
of book used.
Not all
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
Sept. 1960'.
Continuing work on column chromatography, rabbit, human and horse
gamma-globulin, papain, trypsin, etc.
Detailed records of sequence of experiments (few dated), 6 September
1960-20 October 1961.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
1 Nov. 1961'.
Continuation of work of previous book.
1 May 1963-6 January 1965
’ Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
28 Feb. 63'.
Continuation of work of previous book.
Detailed records of experiments and results,
(wrongly written 64).
Detailed records of experiments and results, November 1961-28 February
1963.
with dates in June 1969.
Continuing work on enzyme digestion, 12 January 1965-26 April 1966,
with a few entries by collaborators.
Ai front of book, a few loose pages and amino acid analysis sheets
Notebook inscribed 'Stephen O Sullivan’.
Experiments and results on papain digest, 5 March-10 June 1964.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R: Porter
Jan 65'.
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Research notebooks
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
11 May 66'.
Continuing work on enzyme digest, including comments on collaborators'
work.
Entries (few dated) run to 2 July 1967.
of book.
A few pages also used at rear
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
November 1967'.
Continuing work on sera and antibodies.
31 October 1967-21 March 1969.
Entries (not all dated) run
Enclosed at rear of book are brief correspondence on labelling of BGG
by 4-fluoro-3-nitriphenyl azide and experimental results and diagrams
(not by Porter) November-December 1969.
Notebook tnteribad Rh. Pater.
Ge March: 69".
Continuing work on immune assays, March 1968-January 1970.
pages used.
Includes brief correspondence from P. Beeson.
Few
At. rear of book, draft tables for publication.
several photographs of fractionation
Entries run to 13 September 1976.
At rear of book, brief notes only.
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
12/8/74".
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
26 March 1975'.
Continuing work on immune assays;
results stuck in.
Entries run to 21 March 1975.
Continuation of work in previous book; several photographs of results
stuck in.
notes and photographs of results.
Entries run 15 August 1978-11 August 1979, with a few loose pages of
Notebook inscribed 'R.R.P.'.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Research notebooks
Notebook, no inscription.
Not all pages used.
Entries run 11 August 1981-16 August 1982;
the last pages are dated
21 August 1985 and '2/3 Sept.', immediately before Porter's death.
With a few pages of notes of results by collaborators, and photographs
included as loose items.
Alister Dodds, Porter's research student at the time, has kindly contri-
buted the following explanatory note (February 1987):
"Porter's last few weeks were spent trying to crystallise human C4.
His first attempt involved the use of different concentrations of ammonium
sulphate at different pHs.
The final note in
book B.37 suggests trying polyethylene glycol as a medium from which
crystallisation may occur.
This was unsuccessful.
"Following his death this method was tried and indeed small protein
crystals were observed, though these were too small for diffraction
studies.
Sir David Phillips's group in the Molecular Biophysics Laboratory at
Oxford.'
This work is being continued in collaboration with Professor
No correlation
Notebook inscribed 'R.R. Porter
8 Aug. 83'.
Entries run 5 August 1983-30 March 1984.
Alister Dodds notes:
At rear of book, data on sera of transplant patients, and brief corres~
pondence, 6 March 1984.
At front of book, photographs, results, diagrams and notes by Porter
and others, and ms. and typescript drafts for a publication by Porter
and others, all included as loose items.
between C4 and transplant rejection was found. '
"All sera were typed for C4 and C4 levels determined.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
SECTION C
OXFORD C.1 -C.27;
LEGTURES# GG. 1-= G. 16
ee
"Idiotypic antibodies', October 1971.
Michaelmas Term 1973
"Synthesis and secretion of lIg'
"Genetics of the immune response'
"Immunology Option
Lecture 1'
Michaelmas Term 1975
"Lecture 3.
Antibody combining site’
"Genetics of immunoglobulins'
Immunology Option
...
Immunology Option
Immunology Option
"Lecture 2°
-
Structure’
‘Lectures 7 & 8
- Rabbit Allotypes'
Michaelmas Term 1976
Michaelmas Term 1976
"Genetics of immunoglobulin’
. ‘Evidence for origin in germ line
"Lecture 1 - Immune reaction'
Michaelmas Term 1978
"Lecture 5
-
Idiotypes'
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Oxford
Michaelmas Term 1979
‘Immunoglobulin gene structure’
March 1980
‘Complement'. — Extensive draft and notes.
November 1980
‘Organisation of lg DNA sequences'
198]
"Lecture 7
Cell receptors’
2 sets of same title, and loose notes.
‘Lecture 1'
30
Hilary Term 1982.
Immunology Option
Michaelmas Term 1982
"Lecture 2
-
Structure’
Introduction to Immunology (Third Year).
n.d.
Isolation and structure of immunoglobulin’
Complexity of immunoglobulin'
"Lecture 4.
Immunoglobulin genetics'
‘Lecture 12
Complement',
"Lecture 1'
"Lecture 2.
‘Lecture 3.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Oxford
Various undated ms. notes, drafts, slide lists, etc., on receptors, complement,
gene function.
Miscellaneous photocopied versions of lectures, various dates and undated
(not a complete set).
Miscellaneous lecture schedules, reading lists and references for immunology
option, 1973, 1979-84.
courses.
Brief correspondence re organisation of lecture
BOTANIC GARDEN C.17 - C.24
Porter was elected Chairman of the Curators from 1 September 1979.
Material
Cae
C.24
1984 (2)
1985
i 20
Cuz}
1983
tee
1984 (1)
1979
1980
1981
1982
staff and others.
includes minutes, accounts and committee. papers (many annotated by Porter) and general
correspondence on all matters relating to the Garden, with Curators, Superintendent, Universit
Biochemistry 1981-85.
Arrangements for sabbatical leave as Visiting Professor, University of
California, 1978.
Shorter correspondence on affairs of Oxford and of the Department of
Correspondence with colleagues on the future of the Enzyme Group, 1983.
MISCELLANEOUS
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1 /87
SECTION D
ORGANISATIONS AND CONSULTANCIES
D.1 - D.60
COGENT LTD.
HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, TORONTO
IMPER IAL CANCER RESEARCH FUND
INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH
THE JENNER TRUST AND JENNER APPEAL
MAX-~-PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR BIOCHEMISTRY
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
WELLCOME TRUST
ROYAL SOCIETY
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO).
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
COGENT LTD.
Organisations and consultancies
This company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Legal & General Life Assurance,
'a technology company formed to provide a service to British Industry which will speed
is
the transfer of technology to the market place in the cores of new products and processes’.
It was inter alia the 'financial and development partner’ in an initiative by the Council of
Science and Technology Institutes (CSTI) to link the British research base and industry in
the field of health care.
areas of research activity thought to be ripe for commercial exploitation and Cogent
The intention was that scientists and specialists would identify
Lid. would provide financial support and assistance in the transfer of technology to
industry.
Port er was appointed as consultant for 12 months from 1 July 1984.
The material,
which continues to September 1985, includes correspondence with colleagues and with
A.J. Gray (Chief Executive, Cogent Ltd.), Porter's advice and evaluation on projects,
progress reports, research proposals and background papers sent to him.
Correspondence and arrangements for meeting on autoimmune disease,
March 1985.
Correspondence on collaborative research, meetings, arrangements for
consultancy.
aims of CSTI, Cogent, etc. used in preparing the introductory note
above.
October 1984-July 1985.
Correspondence and papers with colleagues and with Cogent re research
proposals;
includes background papers, progress reports, Porter's nofes
and evaluation.
October 1984-September 1985.
Research reports and proposals, some annotated by Porter, various dates
D.1
Includes consultancy agreement and pamphlet explaining
August-November 1984.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, TORONTO
D5
Invitation to join Scientific Advisory Committee, May 1985.
IMPER IAL CANCER RESEARCH FUND (ICRF)
Porter served as Royal Society nominee on the Council of ICRF in succession to
S. Brenner from 1979 (renominated 1982, 1985).
He also served on the Scientific Advisory
Committee from 1979 and, as a nominee of the Council, as a Director of the Patent
Holding Committee from its inception in 1982.
ICRF Council
Correspondence, papers, proposals, meetings, appointments.
1978-80
1985
D.6
D.7
D.8
D.9
- 19ST -83
1984
(ICRF Developmental Biology Unit, Oxford).
ICRF Scientific Advisory Committee
but declined (letter of 14 May 1985).
Porter was asked to take over as Chairman of the Committee,
Meetings, appointments, reports.
D.10
1979-81
D.11
1982-85.
rorter..
Ren
CSAC 119/1/87
7.
Organisations and consultancies
ICRF Patent Holding Company (PATCO)
Meetings, accounts, research projects and patents.
Dst2
1982.
Includes appointment, articles of association.
1983
1984
INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH
Porter served on the Committee of Management but resigned on his appointment
to the Council of ICRF (see D.6).
Di lS
Report 1977-78, kept as record of Porter's membership.
THE JENNER TRUST AND JENNER APPEAL
The Jenner Trust was formed in 1966 'to celebrate Jenner's genius and to ensure
Evans.
He took an active interest in the affairs of the Trust and especially in the
public awareness of his contribution to society’.
Porter was asked to serve as Royal
Society representative on the Trust in July 1977 following the resignation of Sir David
Continued
endeavour by the Jenner Trust and the British Society for Immunology, and was much
The Chantry, which had been in church hands as the parsonage of Berkeley, Gloucester -
shire.
In 1981 he became one of the initial Trustees of the Jenner Appeal, a joint
involved with fund-raising.
A major donation of £500,000 by R. Sasakawa enabled the
possibility of purchasing, refurbishing and equipping as a museum Jenner's house,
project to go ahead.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
In September 1986 an exhibition was mounted at the Jenner Museum to commemorate
Porter's contributions to antibody structure.
A note prepared for the occasion by Dr.
Lisa
Steiner is included at A.5.
The material includes correspondence with colleagues and officers of the Trust,
and some agenda and committee papers.
The chief officers of the Trust were C.B. Perry
and A.E. Read (Chairman and Secretary) and of the Jenner Appeal Dr. A.R. Sanderson
(Secretary).
D.16
Includes invitation to serve on Trust, Porter's initial letter
1977-78.
to Biological Secretary Royal Society re possibility of purchase of
Chantry.
1979 -80
Fund-raising, draft Trust
Mainly re donation of £500,000 to Jenner Appeal
'
1981 July-October.
with colleagues.
Mainly fund-raising letters and drafts, correspondence
1981 February-June.
as Trustee, publicity, fund-raising, possible TV programme on Jenner.
Launch of the Jenner Appeal, Porter's appointment
1981 November-December, 1982 February.
Deed.
1982 September-December.
1982 January-May.
by Ryoichi Sasakawa, Chairman of Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation
and arrangements for ceremony at Berkeley Castle to honour Sasakawa.
Includes drafts for Porter's short speech of thanks.
1982 May-July.
Jenner Appeal and Chantry.
Function, organisation, management committee of
RR. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
1983 January-May.
Committee.
Appeal Trustees, Management Committee, Acquisitions
1983 July-December.
Meetings, possible Channel 4 programme on Jenner.
1984 January-June.
1984 June-September.
on Jenner.
Further correspondence on possible BBC programme
1984 July-November.
Various plans for Chantry and future of Appeal.
1985 January-February.
ments for opening of the Chantry o 10 May.
Further fund-raising mainly in America, arrange~
1985 March-April.
Similar.
1985 May-June.
Similar.
Includes plans for opening ceremony, performed
. by Mr. Sasakawa.
Minutes of meetings of Management Committee for the Chantry Museum,
7 March 1983-14 August 1985.
Minutes of meetings of Jenner Appeal Trustees, 18 February 1982-1 May
1985.
1 box.
Miscellaneous background material on Jenner and his work, and on the
Appeal (booklets, specimens of stationery, architect's plans, annual
reports, estimates, accounts, etc.).
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR “BIOCHEMISTRY
Porter was a member of the Fachbeirat (Advisory Board) from 1977 and attended
its first meeting in that year, but the surviving material relates only to meetings in 1980
and 1983.
D.35
"1980. ‘Arrangements and programme for meeting, which Porter was unable
to attend, draft report prepared by D.C. Phillips (Chairman of Advisory
Board), brief correspondence.
1982.
Invitation to continue to serve (to December 1985).
Arrangements and programme for meeting in April and a little
1983.
scientific correspondence arising.
Includes one letter 1977.
1983.
Drafts of report on meeting, brief correspondence.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (MRC)
D.39-D.41
Arrangements for talk at Oxford on 'The role of universities in
The talk
medical research' by Sir John Gray, then secretary of MRC.
(on 12 February 1974) was followed by a private dinner and discussion,
both events being organised by Porter.
attending dinner, December 1973-February 1974.
Continuing correspondence with Gray, notes and memoranda,
D.4l
Invitations, acceptances, letters of thanks from colleagues
Preliminary correspondence with Gray and arrangements, _
D.39
October-November 1973.
D.40
January-February 1974.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
D.42-D.44
General correspondence, memos., etc. on affairs of MRC.
D.42
D.43
D.44
1973, 1974, 1976
1979-80.
Includes matérial on lipid metabolism research.
1981
D.45-D.47
Correspondence with and re J.L. Gowans, Secretary of MRC.
D.45
D.46 |
D.47
1975
1976, 1978
1979-85
Advisory Group on Synthetic ee for Use in Vaccines, July 1982-
November 1983.
Material includes
MRC appointments, 1982,
1984, 1985.
MRC grant applications 1984, 1985.
Correspondence with MRC colleagues on antibody research, 1982-83.
Porter was a member of the Group from its inception.
correspondence, committee papers annotated by Porter, comments on
work in hand, etc.
‘growing points in science’.
Service on Sectional Committee 8, 1978-81.
Brief correspondence only;
includes invitation to serve, documents on
ROYAL SOCIETY
D.52
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
.5a*.20
‘Biochemistry and Genetics of Complement'; discussion meeting organised
by Porter, P.J. Lachmann and K.B.M. Reid, and held at Royal Society,
25 January 1984.
D..53
Programme, abstracts, list
of participants.
¢
Correspondence with Royal Society, 1982-84;
Dod
to organise meeting, arrangements, budget, publication schedule, letters
of thanks.
invitation
50
Correspondence with co-organisers and colleagues re
participation, papers, etc.,
duction to conplement prepared for meeting.
1982-84.
Includes draft of Porter's intro-
Elections, 1981-84.
WELLCOME TRUST
D.57
The grant was made in 1960,
Correspondence 1959-60, 1967, 1984.
' The correspondence is with colleagues and with officials of the Trust,
mainly re Porter's application for the purchase of an analytical ultra-
centrifuge to enable him to continue his antibody research after his move
to St. Mary's Hospital Medical School.
and Porter took the equipment with him when he moved to Oxford in 1967.
Correspondence 1984 includes historical accounts of the research carried
out with the help of the ultracentrifuge.
Porter agreed to serve (August 1985, shortly before his death).
Correspondence re newly-constituted Biochemistry and Cell Biology Panel.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Organisations and consultancies
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
Porter served on the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Immunology for four successive
five-year terms, 1964-84.
and discussions on the nomenclature of immunoglobulins, appointments and a little scientific
Material includes memoranda, grant applications, meetings
correspondence.
Dov.
D.60
1964-70
1971 -84
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
SECTION E
VISITS AND CONFERENCES
E.1
- E.39
The surviving material dates only from 1982 and includes ongoing plans up to
1987,
1
indicating
g
Porter's continuing high
P
place in international academic activity.
Y
“Visit to Spain, 16-23 May 1982
This was a British Council sponséred lecture tour to Madrid, Salamanca and
Barcelona.
Porter lectured and conducted seminars on complement.
Ey
Correspondence 1981-82 with British Council, Spanish colleagues and
officials re arrangements for tour, requests for lectures and information,
etc.
Includes travel schedule and Porter's report on his visit.
Drafts for Porter's lectures.
"Structure and activation of the early components of the complement
system'
Y
(also given at Budapest, September 1982; see E.5).
P
P
3
'The proteolytic enzymes. of the complement system'
_ Miscellaneous schedules, programmes, guest lists, press-cuttings.
Includes
E.4
‘Molecular basis of immunity to infection’
Visit to Hungarian Academy of Sciences, September-October 1982
copy of lecture 'Messing about with isotopes and enzymes and antibodies’,
by C. Milstein, sent to Porter.
Correspondence with colleagues in Hungary and with Royal Society re
invitation, travel expenses and arrangements, letters of thanks, Porter's
report on his visit.
Notebook of Porter's notes on his visit.
Notes for Porter's lecture ‘Structure and activation of the early comporents
of the complement system', travel schedule and programme of visit,
information re work of various Institutes of the Academy.
RR. Porters
CSAC 119/1/87
Visit to Lausanne, September 1982
Visits and conferences
ok
Correspondence re invitation, travel arrangements, current research,
publication.
Notes for Porter's lecture ‘Structure and interaction of the early compo-
nents of complement’.
Conference on 'The Role and Significance of International Cooperation in the Biomedical
Sciences', National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 21-23 September 1983.
Porter spoke on ‘Antibody structure and the Antibody Workshop meetings, 1959-66'; the
proceedings were to be published in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine.
£9
Correspondence 1982-83 with organisers and colleagues re invitation,
arrangements, letters of thanks.
prepared for the participants.
Includes 'Preliminary Background Document'
Notes and draft of Porter's paper.
Conference programme, travel-schedule, etc.
17th Miami Winter Symposium on 'Advances in Gene Technology: Molecular Biology
of the Immune System', 11-15 February 1985.
Porter spoke on 'The Complement Genes of the HLA Complex', and the lecture was publ ished
in the Proceedings (ICSU Short Reports Vol.2).
also lectured at the Medical School, Houston, and gave a seminar at the Medical School,
Birmingham, Alabama.
two copies, with different ms. additions.
Gale
Correspondence with organisers, invitation to participate, travel arrange ~-
ments, draft programme, letter of thanks, etc., 1984-85.
During the course of his visit)to USA Porter
Correspondence with colleagues in USA, arrangements to meet, lecture at
Houston and Birmingham, research in progress, 1984-85.
Porter's lecture at Miami, 'The complement genes of the HLA complex';
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Visits and conferences
Porter's lecture at Houston, ‘Molecular genetics of the complement
components coded in HLA’.
Porter's copy of Miami Symposium Program, with annotations, and his ms.
notes on papers given by others.
Travel schedule, conference information, etc.
Invitations (declined) to lecture at Washington University and Scripps
Clinic during visit to USA.
Tea Club Talk, on 'Complement genes and antoimmune disease', Department
of Biochemistry, Cambridge, March 1985.
Correspondence only.
Invitation, suggestions for participants and topics.
"Needham Society’, Royal Holloway College;
March 1985.
invitation to lecture in
XXXII] Colloquium on Protides of the Biological Fluids, Brussels, April-
May 1985.
attend.
Steno Symposium VII, on 'Recombinant DNA applications to defects in
cellular functions and human diseases', Copenhagen, 12-14 May 1985.
‘
Correspondence, draft programme.
A talk by Porter on 'Complement
factor genes and human diseases’ was scheduled, but he was unable to
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Visits and conferences
‘Immunology Update for Clinicians', organised by Royal Postgraduate Medical School,
20-24 May 1985.
Porter spoke on ‘Molecular genetics of the class III genes of the MHC’.
E.23
E24
Correspondence with organiser.
Various notes and drafts for Porter's talk (based on his Houston
lecture at E.15).
Copy of course information, abstracts of papers, etc.
contribution is on pp.62-63.)
(Porter's
Holland Forum, 29 May~3 June 1985.
Correspondence only.
honour, but was unable to aft end.
Porter agreed to be on the committee of
Visit to Iceland, 24 June-1 July 1985
Porter gave a seminar at the Blood Bank, and lectured on 'The complement system'
and on 'The polymorphisms and reactivities of C2, C4 and factor B'.
rome
Correspondence 1984-85 re visit, travel schedule, lecture topics,
etc.;
includes correspondence re importation of Icelandic plants
for Botanic Garden, Oxford.
material for July visit).
Programme and list of participants for First Symposium on Hereditary
CNS Amyloid Angiopathy, Reykjavik, September 1985 (kept with
Notes for Porter's lectures.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Visits and conferences
Sixth Ir Gene Workshop: Immune Regulation, Oxford, 21-25
September 1985.
Invitation (declined), preliminary programme.
XI International Complement Workshop, Key Biscayne, 3-5
November 1985.
Invitation only (accepted).
The first Charles Harington Lecture, National Institute for Medical
Research.
invitation, lecture topic.
Porter was to lecture on 20 November. Correspondence,
Correspondence 1983-85 re arrangements for Porter to visit New
Zealand as a Prestige Fellow in March 1986.
The trip was also
to include a brief visit to Hong Kong.
:
6th International Congress of Immunology, Toronto, 5-11 July 1986;
invitation to act as co-Chairman (declined).
17th FEBS meeting Immunochemistry Symposium, Berlin, 24-29 August
1986;
invitation to speak on Complement.
Arrangements to visit and lecture at University of Connecticut
Health Center, October 1986.
Arrangements to visit and give Harmon Lecture at Oklahoma Medical
Research Foundation, October 1986.
'RS - BA meeting in 1987'.
Invitation to Western Australian Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation
Workshop, January 1987;
developments in complement components work and centres of research.
Material re proposed 'Meeting for Discussion’ on 'The emergence
of man: rise of higher humanising facilities', with ms. note
includes Porter's comments on likely
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87 |
SECTION F
JOURNALS AND PUBLICATIONS
F.1
- F.13
The material relates almost entirely to Porter's service on editorial or advisory
boards, often of new journals which he helped to launch.
It includes some comment on
papers submitted for publication.
Bal
Bioscience Rep orts
Communications and Reviews in Molecular and Cell Biology.
Porter was an Hon. Advisory Editor, the others being A. Kornberg and
F. Sanger.
The first number of the journal appeared in January 1981,
published by the Biochemical Society.
Correspondence and papers September 1980-March 1985, mainly with
C.A. Pasternak (Chairman, Board of Editors), on general affairs of the
journal, launching, publicity, requests to write, meetings of editorial
board, submission of papers, long-term future plans, etc.
Cambridge University Press, 1984
Invitation to serve on editorial board of new Cambridge Encyclopedia of
The Life Sciences.
The EMBO Journal, 1983-85
Correspondence with editor (J. Tooze) and colleagues, mainly re papers
submitted for publication by Porter or sent to him for comment.
Porter accepted an invitation to serve on the Editorial Board in October
1976.
MHC', to which he contributed (published 1985).
Correspondence 1983 discusses proposed new series of volumes of
'‘Reminiscences';
of antibody structure but later withdrew because of pressure of work.
Correspondence 1984 includes Porter's suggestion for 'a volume on the
molecular genetics of the complement component genes (Class III) of the
Immunological Reviews, various dates, 1976-84
(previously Transplantation Reviews)
Porter agreed to comtribute an account of knowledge
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Journals and publications
Journal of Immunogenetics, 1972-73, 1985
ro
proposed new journal.
withdrew .
Correspondence 1972-73 with editors and colleagues re
Porter agreed to serve as a co-editor but later
E56
1985.
Comment on paper.
Molecular Biology and Medicine, 1982-85
This was a new journal published by Academic Press.
Chief were E.S. Lennox and S. Brenner;
Editorial Board.
The Editors~in-
Porter was a member of the
General correspondence re affairs of the new journal,
to serve, comment on papers.
P
|
1
P
publicity,
Yr
invitation
Oxford University Press, 1982-85
Advice on publications.
1982
1983-84
V9R5
Ee
Pie
ea
la
1972-73
to him for comment by PNAS.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1972-73, 1982-85
_ Correspondence on papers submitted by Porter for publication, or referred
molecular Chemistry.
Request (declined) to write chapter on proteins for volume on Macro~
Royal Society of Chemistry Specialist Periodical Reports, 198]
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
SECTION G
CORRESPONDENCE G.1 -G.75
Porter's decision to retain only material likely to be of continuing relevance
to his intended post-retirement career as Director of the MRC Immunochemistry Unit seems
to have borne especially hard on his correspondence files. | With very few exceptions,
the surviving material dates from the 1980s and does not reflect many of Porter's long-
term links with scientific colleagues.
On the other hand, the intense pressure of new
ideas and developments in the growing field of immunology, Porter's continuing leader-
ship and the great respect in which he was held, emerge very clearly.
G.1-G.4
The Antibody Workshop
1960-69
The purpose of the workshop was 'to bring together a small group of
investigators of a diversity of professional backgrounds who could in
an informal way discuss the problems of antibody formation and exchange’.
There were no published proceedings so that ideas and work in progress
could be freely discussed, and several new discoveries were clarified
or reported at the meetings.
Eventually the workshops became in a
sense victims of their own success;
increased, and it was felt that the essentially informal character of
the meetings could not be sustained (see G.4).
pressure to attend, and to publish,
Jon Singer.
Gl
1960-61
1964.
G.2
Includes grant application for 'A continuing work-
shop on antibody synthesis and characterisation', with accounts of history
and origin of workshop, programmes and lists of participants at previous
meetings.
The correspondence is photocopied material exchanged by the 'Quintum-
virate' of organisers with other colleagues and officials of the National
Science Foundation on financial support, organisation of meetings, etc.
Those chiefly involved are Melvin Cohn, Herman N. Eisen, Fred Karush,
Edwin S. Lennox, S.
National Science Foundation.
Material for 1969 is M. Cohn's final report on the workshops to the
G.3
antibody workshop’ held at
1965.
Includes comments by W. Weaver on ‘Procedures at
G.4
1966, 1969.
La Jolla in February 1965.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
Biochemical Society
1985
Correspondence with Hon. Archivist (G.R. Barker) re proposed
Historical Exhibition of the Society.
of 'Contribution of immunological research to biochemistry’ .
Includes Porter's 2pp. account
Bodmer, W.F.
Research, publications.
Brown, W.
Capra, J.D.
Research on C4 sequencing, publication, visits.
Chaplin, D.D.
1980-84.
1985
1976-84
1984-85
Colten, H.R.
Complement research.
Chibnall, A.C. — and others
1982-84
Cromlish, J:A.
Dawkins, R.L.
Mainly correspondence with Chibnall and colleagues re 90th birthday
dinner, organised by Porter, F. Sanger and H. Gutfreund and held
at King's College, Cambridge, February 1984.
Complement in autoimmunity.
Article by Porter and colleague on complement genetics.
4.21985
1984
1984-85
1984
1982-85
Dixon, F.J.
Doniach, D.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
Eisen, H.N.
Giles, C.M.
C4 research.
Glaser, R. J.
:
Harris, H.
1973, 1983
1984-85
1984
1977-80
Research and publications.
papers, Harris's 'Thoughts on the Regius Professorship of Medicine’.
Includes discussions and comments on draft
Hauptmann, G.
1983-85
Collaborative research on C4.
Hjelm, M.
21 -Hydroxylase.
Holasek, A.
’ Holmes, N.J.
Committee
1982
House of Commons Education, Science and Arts
Reply to Questionnaire on ‘Biotechnology in the UK: Training,
Research and Industrial Application’.
H.
Isenman, D.E.
C3, C4 research.
Huber &.
Preparation of C4.
1978, 1980, 1983
Humphrey, J.H.
Inman, F.P.
Isliker,
R.R. Porter
GSAG 119/1/87
Correspondence
Klein, J.
1977-78, 1983-85
Correspondence 1977-78 is with W.F. Bodmer. Later corres~
pondence is on C4 probe.
Knowles, J.R.
and others
1974-83
Research, appointments.
Koelble, K.
C4 typing.
Koskimies, S.
Krause, R.M.
re Krebs, H.A.
1984
1975
1983-84
Scholarship Appeal (organised by H.L. Kornberg)
Lehner, T.
1982
re Kunkel, H.G.
1975-76, 1984
Commemoration of P. Gorer's contribution to immunology.
Correspondence with colleagues on Kunkel's contributions to research,
recommendations for prizes and awards, etc.
Correspondence with colleagues re memorials to Krebs: Biochemical
Society's Krebs Memorial
and proposal by American colleagues R.L. Veech and B. Chance to
plant giant sequoia trees on a site in Oxford.
Research, lectures, recommendations.
Milstein, C.
and others -
1973-80
Lennox, E.S.
1971-77, 1983
Scientific and personal correspondence.
Mauff, G.
1982-83
C4 research and nomenclature.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
Morris, J.G.
Morris, P. J.
MUller-Eberhard, H. J.
Visits, publications.
O'Neill, G.J.
C4 research.
1984
1983-84
1973, 1982-85
1983-84
Oxfordshire Health Authority
1984
Report of the Working Party on Clinical Immunology.
Peart, W.S.
various dates 1978-83
Brief exchanges on various résearch topics.
Perry
Phillips, D.C.
Questionnaire on the Brain Drain.
Perry, S.V.
1982, 1985
Includes arrangements for retirement symposium for Perry, at which
Porter was to propose the toast, scheduled for September 1985.
was a friend since undergraduate days, and was asked to write the
Royal Society Memoir of Porter.
1981-84
Ramanathan, V.D.
Immune aggregates in leprosy.
Schumaker, V.
various dates
1984-85
1984
Ruddy, S.
Sasazuki, T.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
Shaw, W.D.
1984, 1985
Shephard, EA,
)
1985
G .39-G .43
Steiner, L.A.
‘
;
1974-85
Scientific and personal correspondence, on complement research and
publications, visits, conferences, etc.
Most of the correspondence
is incoming, but a few of Porter's replies are included.
G.39
1974-76
G.4l
1980-83
G.40
1978-79
:
G.42
1984
G.43
retirement Festschrift.
1985.
Includes Steiner's draft contribution to Porter's
Tack, BF:
1980-85
Research and publications on. C3 "G4, C5.
Weiskrantz, L.
Wenden, D. J.
Takahashi, M.
“Webster, C.
1985
1985
History of medicine in Oxford, especially contribution of the Welicome
Trust.
1980-85
Oxford Science Park.
Whitehead, A.S.
White, P.C.
and others
1983-84
and others
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
Wolf Foundation
1977-80
Porter was a member of the Foundation's Prize Committee in Medicine;
correspondence includes his views on appropriate organisation of
awards.
Woods, D.
1982-85
SHORTER UNINDEXED CORRESPONDENCE
G.50
Miscellaneous requests from colleagues and research teams for cDNA
probes prepared in Porter's laboratory.
1983-85
Requests by Porter for information or material.
1983-85
1980-85
9157
G.53
Research grants and scholarships
Miscellaneous shorter correspondence.
REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1984-85
Agricultural Research Council
G50
1978-79
S08. OF
Wellcome Trust
G .54
1975
G.56
1981-83
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Correspondence
G.58, G.59
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 185]
1981-85
Porter joined the Science Scholarships Committee in 1981 on the death
of H.A. Krebs.
G.58
1981-83
G59:
5
Ages 83
Scottish Home and Health Department
G.6]
1985
Appointments and promotions
G.62
G.63
G.64
1973-74
1975
1976, 1978
1984
1984-85
1985 (1)
1985 (3)
G.73
Personal
1983 (1)
1983 (2)
Prizes
G.72
G.65
G.66
1985 (2)
1981, 1984
1973, 1979
G.74
7D
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS
ACTON, Ronald T.
ADRIAN, Richard Hume, 2nd Baron
ALLAN, K.
|
ALPER, Chester A.
ALVAREZ, Andrés G.
ANTIBODY WORKSHOP
ASHBY, Eric, Baron
ASKONAS, B.
(Ita)
E.13
A.42
A.21
i wd ae
See E.1
Aig GA-GA
See also E.9-E.11
G.10
Acie Cc?
BACH, Stephen
|
A.2]
BACON, John Stanley Durrant
A.21, G.10
BADDILEY, Sir James
BADENOCH, Sir John
A.42
A.36
BALLANTRAE, Bernard Edward Fergusson,
Baron
|
A... Bee
BECKER, Elmer L.
BEESON, Paul Bruce
BEESTON, Alan W.
BELL, Davey J.
BAXBY, Derrick
BEAUBIEN, Mark S.
A.39
G.8
F.5
D.22
EY
CT
BARKER, Geoffrey R.
BAUER, Klausdieter
F.5
A.21
D.9-.B 1600.27, Deft, D. 55;
P18 Ge6, G12)
BLACKMAN, Cliff
BODMER, Sir Walter Fred
BHAKDI, Sucharit
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY
BLACK, Sir Douglas (Andrew Kilgour)
BOWKER, Keith
A.34
A.2]
D.55
G.5
rsd
D.20
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
Be ee
hte
ae
BRENNER, Sydney
BRENT, Leslie
BROWN, Sir George Lindor
BROWN, Harrison
BROWN, William
BUNJE, Henry
BURCHNALL, H.
H.
BURTON, Kenneth
:
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
CAPRA, J. Donald
CASTON, Geoffrey Kemp
CEPPELLINT. Ky
E.33
A.44, F.7
A.2]
A.21
A.26
C.7
A.35
A. 34
A.21, G.10
E
G.8
es
G.24
G.9
0.55
A
D
D
D
G
A
CHANCE, Britton
CHAPLIN, Hugh
CINADER, Bernhardt
A.21
D.6-D.14
A.36
D.1-D.4
A.2\
A.2U,. A. 35, G10
COGENT Ltd.
COHEN, June
CHAPLIN, David Dunbar
CLARKE, Ainslie B. —
L.
CLARKE, Sir Cyril (Astley)
CHIBNALL, Albert Charles
COHEN, Lionel Leonard, Baron
D. 56
CRUMPTON, Michael Joseph
COLTEN, Harvey Radin
CROMLISH, James A.
COLOMB, Maurice G.
2b Ds7,. D.9=D. Tie
COHEN, Sydney
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
DANIEL, Peter
DAWKINS, R.
—
L.
DENNISON, Stanley Raymond
DIXON, Frank James
DOLL, Sir (William) Richard (Shaboe)
DONIACH, Deborah
DUKES, Justin P.
DUMBELL, Keith Rodney
DUTHIE, Robert Buchan
EBERT, Robert H.
EISEN, Herman Nathaniel
ELSDEN, Sidney Reuben
D.23, D.28
E.38, G.12
A.37
G.13
A.44, D.41
SG i9
D.25
D.26
D.Al
Del?
A.28, G.14
See also A.6
A.22
ELVERSON, Mike
EMBO Journal
B.32
Ps
Doo). 7
GAGNON, Jean
FOTHERGILL, John E.
FRANGIONE, Blas
FRANKLIN, Edward C.
FAHEY, John L.
FEY, George H.
A.22
Db, 55
Eia7
A.22
D.59, D.60
F1
A.22, G.10
A.19
D.AI
A
G.14
Gua
F.3°
GALE, Ernest Frederick
GELDART, Winston J.
GLASER, Robert J.
GOODFELLOW, Peter
GELDER, Michael Graham
GOODMAN, Howard C.
GERGELY, J.
GILES, Carolyn M.
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
GOODWIN, Trevor Walworth
GORER, Peter
GOWANS, Sir James Learmonth
GRABAR, Pierre
GRAHAME-SMITH, David Grahame
GRAY, Anthony J.
GRAY, Sir John (Archibald Browne)
err iiris;
).
2K.
GUTFREUND, Herbert
HABAKKUK, Sir John (Hrothgar)
HARRIS, Henry
HARRIS, William J.
ee Add, D.41,-G.15
a
HARRISON, David
44
;
3
A.
H.
HOLASEK, Anton
HOLMES, Nicholas John
HOPWOOD, David Alan
322
28
G.10
G.17
D.35, D.37
HAUPTMANN, Georges
HEAID. PJ,
HENDERSON, D.
HILL, Robert Robin)
HJELM, Magnus
HOFSCHNEIDER, P.
G.19
HUBER, Robert
HUGHES, R.
HUMPHREY, John Herbert
Colin
HOUSE OF COMMONS EDUCATION,
SCIENCE AND ARTS COMMITTEE
G.18
oa G.19
E.32
HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, TORONTO D.5
G.17
See also B.22
OTT
D.56
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
Immunological Reviews
IMPER [AL CANCER RESEARCH FUND
INMAN, Frank P.
INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH
ISENMAN, David E.
ISLIKER, Henri
JATON, Jean-Claude
JENNER TRUST
JENSSON, Olafur
JERNE, Niels K.
JONES, Sir Ewart (Ray Herbert) (Tim)
Journal of Immunogenetics
F.4
D.6-D.14
G.20
D.15
G.20
G.20
G.63
D.16-D.34
See also A.5
cor
oe
Cee
r,o, 400
KATZ, Sir Bernard
KHKUNI, Kenzo
KING, Roger J.
B.
A.35
G.10
G24
A.34
D.23
F.9
Gin
cas
KENNER, George Wallace
KEKWICK, Ralph Ambrose
KNOWLES, Jeremy Randall
KENDREW, Sir John (Cowdery)
KLEIN, Jan
KNOWLAND, John
A.27
A. 22, &.44, Old, Gaga
KORNBERG, Sir Hans Leo
KREBS, Sir Hans (Adolf)
KUNKEL, Henry George
KOESDARMINTA, A.
KRAUSE, Richard M.
See G.24
See .G.25
G.2
D.60
G.23
G.23
96, 6.19, Gee
KOELBLE, Konrad
KOSKIMIES, Saija
KURTI, Nicholas
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
LACHMANN, Peter Julius
LANG, Brian
LATNER, Albert Louis
LEGGETT-BAILEY, J.
LEHNER, Thomas
LENNOX, Edwin S.
LERNMARK, Ake
LEVINE, R.
Paul
LONG, Cyril
LONG, David L.
D.55, G.8
D.20
A.22
G.10
G.26
b.7/'C:27
E.22
E.18
A.22
D.57
MADDISON, Francis A.
MADDOX, John Royden
MANDELSTAM, Joel
MANGAN, J.
L.
MARSLAND, Edward Abson
O.
MARSTON, Fiona A.
MARTIN, Nicholas H.
D.29
D.18
A.20, A.49, D.41
G.10
G.68
F.11
A.23
Da
D.55, G.28
MEDAWAR, Sir Peter (Brian)
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
MAX~-PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR
BIOCHEMISTRY
MASSEY, Graham
MAUFF, Gottfried
A.23
D.35-D.
F.4
D.39-D.5
D.55, F.
A.44
BE.
D.1
A.44
F.7
F.4
Molecular Biology and Medicine
MOLLER, G8ran
MEO, Tommaso
MILEDI, Richard
MILSTEIN, César
MITCHELL, Fred L.
“@t29
MITCHISON, (Nicholas) Avrion
MOORE, Stanford
R.R. Porter
CSAC 119/1/87
Index of correspondents
MORGAN, Walter Thomas James
MORRIS. J”
Gareth
MORRIS, Peter J.
MORTON, Richard Alan
MUIR, (Isabella) Helen (Mary)
MULLER -EBERHARD, Hans Joachim
NATVIG, Jacob B.
NEUBERGER, Albert
NEURATH, Hans
NICHOLSON, Dennis
OGSTON, Alexander George
O'NEILL, Geoffrey J.
PAINE, Roger
PRE VERS: ff,
OUDIN, Jacques
OWEN, Samuel Griffith
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
PATON, Sir William (Drummond Macdonald)
PASTER NAK, Charles A.
Pat
PEART, Sir (William) Stanley
D.19,°D.88.G.34
PORTER, Rodney Robert
Published: 20 November, 2023 Author: admin