FIRST CITIZEN OF PORTSMOUTH

The Portsmouth Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Portsmouth Service League is now coordinating Portsmouth's annual First Citizen program and its related events. Please continue to support this important civic event. Portsmouth Service League is a volunteer organization comprised of young women who are interested in the welfare of their community. It is a training organization with its object being to produce responsible civic leaders for the community by exposing, educating, and involving its members in all facets of community life.

To reach the Portsmouth Service League website, click on the logo below.

PORTSMOUTH FIRST CITIZEN 2009 - DONALD W. COMER, JR.

PORTSMOUTH FIRST CITIZEN 2008 - ALBERT J. TAYLOR, JR.

James W. Holley, III.-2007 First Citizen of Portsmouth

William H. Kline, Jr., 2006 First Citizen of Portsmouth

Arthur A. Kirk 2005 First Citizen of Portsmouth

The naming of a Portsmouth First Citizen began in 1932 at the Portsmouth Moose Club. PortsEvents, a non-profit organization organizing events that brought people to Portsmouth, carried the tradition for a while. In 2004, The Portsmouth Community Foundation assumed this important function.
Consideration for nomination as First Citizen of Portsmouth include such characteristics as civic, charitable, and religious contributions to the welfare of the community, state, country, and fellow citizens, over and above anything that can be reasonably expected from the pursuit of one’s chosen vocation and without remuneration, with the principal contributions having been made to the City of Portsmouth, although the nominee is not required to reside in the City of Portsmouth.
Former honorees comprise the Selection Committee and choose the new First Citizen of Portsmouth.

*Norman R. Hamilton-1932
*John A. Morris-1939
*Edward W. Maupin, Jr.-1940
*Rev.Msgr.F. Harold Nott-1941
*Frank D. Lawrence-1942
*RADM Felix X. Gygax, USN-1943
*George T. McLean-1944
*T.A. Willett-1945
*Chief Justice Lawrence W.I’Anson-1946
*Leslie T. Fox-1947
*Sol Fass-1948
*Maywood O. Lawrence-1949
*Abner B. Hill-1950
*Hon. Porter Hardy, Jr.-1951
*Lewis C. Warren-1952
Rev. Ernest K. Emurian-1953
*J. Roy Rodman-1954
*O.B. Woolridge-1955
*Harry A. Hunt-1956
*Rev. William A. Brown-1957
*A.J. Lancaster-1958
*Frederick Beazley-1959
*Arthur Lee Cherry-1960
*Richard F. Wood-1961
*Dr. Russell Mills Cox-1962
*George T. Ewell-1963
*Lester Lloyd Knight-1964
*John Tydings Nix-1965
*Wilfred Fleming Magann-1966
*Dr. Robert Monroe Campbell-1967
Hon. John Ashton MacKenzie-1968
E. Saunders Early, Jr.-1969
*Robert Murdaugh Reed-1970
*Dr. Mearl A. Kise-1971 *
Paul Curtis Stokley-1972
*Hon. Richard J. Davis-1973
Herbert K.Bangel-1974
P. Stockton Fleming-1975
*Emily Nichols Spong-1976
Frank Langley Kirby-1977
George Delman Eastes-1978
Daniel W. Duncan-1979
*Robert William Wentz, Jr.,-1980
*RADM Jamie Adair, USN,Ret.-1981
*Dr. Emile S. Sayegh-1982
*Peter Eustis-1983
Bradford L. Cherry-1984
John Paul Conwell Hanbury-1985
*J. Herbert Simpson-1986
Anne Hyde Long-1987
W. Ashton Lewis-1988
P. Ward Robinett, Jr.,-1989
*Arthur J. Lancaster, Jr.-1990
Herbert A. Haneman, Jr.-1991
Hon. Morton V. Whitlow-1992
Maury Wise Cooke-1993
Zelma Goodman Rivin-1994
Junius H. Williams, Jr.-1995
J. Hunter Brantley, Jr.-1996
Ernest F. Hardee-1997
Horace S. Savage, Jr.-1998
G. Robert Aston, Jr.-1999
David R. Tynch-2000
Michael J. Blachman-2001
Diane Pomeroy Griffin-2002
R. Scott Morgan – 2003
Nancy G.Wren - 2004
Arthur A. Kirk - 2005
William H. Kline, Jr. - 2006
James W. Holley, III - 2007
*Those Remembered