Ernest Melville DuPorte National Historic Person (1891-1981)

Ernest Melville DuPorte was designated as a national historic person in 2010.

Historical importance: One of Canada's foremost insect morphologists, his significant contributions in entomology in the area of Orthoptera (crickets/grasshoppers) were recognized worldwide.

Commemorative plaque: plaque will be installed at McGill UniversityFootnote 1

Ernest Melville DuPorte (1891-1981)

This researcher and entomologist from the British West Indies was a leading expert on insect morphology. He significantly advanced scientific knowledge through groundbreaking studies on Orthoptera, such as crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts, helping propel Canada to the forefront of research on the subject. He spearheaded the establishment of the Institute of Parasitology on this campus in 1932. Through his brilliance, scientific contributions, and extreme perseverance, Ernest Melville DuPorte was able to overcome racial discrimination and achieve international stature within his profession.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
English plaque inscription
Black and white photo of a man sitting
Dr. Ernest Melville Duporte, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, circa 1971
© Photo by Kenneth Bowe, McGill University Archives, PR044397

 

Black and white photo of four persons seated on a sofa
Professor and Mrs. Gray with Dr. and Mrs. Duporte, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, circa 1950
© McGill University Archives, RG 43 (PU044704)

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