Jenny Lind Porter (September 3, 1927 – June 27, 2020) was an American poet and teacher, andPoet Laureate of Texas from 1964 to 1965. She taught at multiple universities in Texas and was named one of the Outstanding Educators of America.

Porter was born inFort Worth, Texas, on September 3, 1927, and grew up inAzle, a nearby town.^[1] Her mother named her after the Swedish opera singerJenny Lind.^[2] Her mother would also read her poetry at a young age, to which Porter credits her own love of poetry.^[3] She published her first poem at the age of 14, a piece entitled "Mr. Johnson Goes to Washington" aboutLyndon B. Johnson.^[4] She graduated fromPaschal High School in 1944.^[4]

Porter earned her Bachelor of Arts degree fromTexas Christian University in 1948, followed by a Master of Arts in 1949.^[5] She earned her PhD in English from theUniversity of Texas at Austin in 1957, the youngest woman to receive a PhD from the school at the time.^[4] Describing her work, deanHarry Ransom said she was "distinguished by scholarship without dust".^[1]

Porter taught English atWest Texas State University from 1959 to 1961.^[6] She also taught atSouthwest Texas State College^[2] and served as the Chair of the English department atTexas Lutheran College.^[7] In 1968, she started teaching English atHuston-Tillotson College, becoming chair of their English department in 1970, going on to launch their creative writing program.^[1]

In 1964, Porter was selected asPoet Laureate of Texas by governorJohn Connally.^[8] In 1981, she established the Texas Poets' Corner at West Texas A&M University, donating from her own collection of rare books and artwork.^[9] Based in the Cornette Library of the university, the area is intended to expose students to poetry and other literature.^[10]

In 1981, Porter publishedThe Siege of the Alamo, a poem that film historian Frank Thompson called "uncommonly beautiful", praising its contrast to the typical descriptions of theBattle of the Alamo.^[11]

Porter died on June 27, 2020, in Austin, Texas, and was buried atTexas State Cemetery.^[5] She left a $2.8 million estate gift to West Texas A&M University, intended to both expand the collection at the Poets' Corner and establish multiple professor positions in English and other subjects.^[6]

PoetJesse Stuart described Porter as "America's newEmily Dickinson".^[3]

• The Lantern of Diogenes (1954)^[3]
• Azle and the Attic Room (1957)^[3]
• The Siege of the Alamo (1981)^[11]

• 1953, received the D.A. Frank poetry prize^[12]
• 1970, received theAlice Fay Di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America^[13]
• 1971, named an Outstanding Educator of America^[1]
• 1976, inducted into the Philosophical Society of Texas, one of the first women to be included^[1]
• 1979, received the Distinguished Diploma of Honor fromPepperdine University, the only woman to receive this honor at the time^[8]
• 1981, received the Dr. A. Joseph Armstrong Browning Memorial Award^[13]
• 1985, inducted into theTexas Women's Hall of Fame^[8]

• 1927 births
• 2020 deaths
• 20th-century American educators
• 20th-century American poets
• 20th-century American women educators
• People from Fort Worth, Texas
• Poets laureate of Texas
• Teachers of English
• Texas Christian University alumni
• University of Texas at Austin alumni
• 20th-century American women poets

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