Sherman College mourns the passing of Dr. John H. Porter, Jr., a beloved faculty member, pioneer in the chiropractic profession, veteran, servant leader, and beloved family man.
A 1977 Sherman graduate, Dr. Porter returned to Sherman as a faculty member in 1979 and retired in 2020 after dedicating 41 years to teaching the next generation of doctors of chiropractic as well as serving the local community through his private chiropractic practice as Spartanburg’s second Black chiropractor.
After joining the college faculty just six years after Sherman College's founding, Porter taught nearly every student until he retired. His daughter, Dr. Princess Porter-Fowler, a 2001 Sherman graduate, continues her father’s legacy by serving as an associate professor of clinical sciences at Sherman College and as the primary chiropractor in her father’s clinic, Porter Family Chiropractic.
Sherman alumni remember Dr. Porter fondly, describing him as the "bedrock" of the college. They recall him as a powerful yet caring instructor, a man of few words, and a legendary chiropractor with the fastest toggle they'd ever seen. Dr. Porter’s enduring impact on the chiropractic profession will undoubtedly be remembered through the thousands of Sherman students he taught and the patients he cared for.
