Kiersten Fitzpatrick Cole Porter 4/3/15
Cole Albert Porter was born June 9th 1891. He was born into a wealthy family in Peru,
Indiana as an only child. His father, Samuel, was a druggist and his mother, Kate, the daughter of
“the richest man in Indiana.” Porter began his musical studies at a young age with the influence
of him mother. Porter learned to play the violin as well as the piano. At age ten he wrote his first
operetta, with help from his mother. Cole’s father’s had less of an influence on his son’s career,
besides his amateur poetry skills. Their relationship was not very strong. Porter’s grandfather
wanted him to be a lawyer and shipped him off to Worcester academy in hopes of discouraging
the career path of music. Ironically Porter found music helpful at making friends in college. He
did very well in college and continued on to graduate school at Yale University in1909. Cole
majored in English with a minor in music and continued studying French, after being rewarded a
trip to France from his Grandfather at graduation. He was a member of a fraternity and the Yale
