John Edward Porter (1935-2022) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Republican U.S. Representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district from 1980 to 2001. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Porter graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1957 and earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1961. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1958 and began his legal career before entering politics. Prior to his congressional tenure, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979, where he chaired the Republican Caucus. Porter was known for his bipartisan approach, particularly in advancing human rights initiatives (including co-founding the Congressional Human Rights Caucus with Democrat Tom Lantos in 1983), increasing funding for health care through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was instrumental in doubling the NIH budget over a decade, supporting education programs, and managing appropriations as a key member of the House Appropriations Committee. After retiring from Congress in 2001, he joined the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, became a senior counselor at Hogan Lovells, and served on various nonprofit boards focused on health and human rights. Porter passed away on June 3, 2022, at age 86, after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was remembered for his integrity, effectiveness, and reputation as a moderate Republican who bridged partisan divides on critical issues including human rights, health care funding, education, and appropriations.