Edward Von der Porten

Maritime historian Barry Gough writes about Von der Porten: ‘’He was an American pioneer in writing the German naval history of the Second World War. . . .” For the book, Von der Porten interviewed numerous German naval officers including Großadmiral Karl Dönitz who authored and signed the book's forward. The book, first published in 1969 was again published in an expanded pictorial edition in 1976. Von der Porten' last book, the posthumously published Ghost Galleon, describes the 16th century Manila galleon wreck off Baja California, the San Juanillo.

Von der Porten both taught archaeology and founded the field archaeology program at SRJC. With the college, he did extensive archaeological field work regarding the protohistory of the area of what is now Point Reyes National Seashore, near Drakes Bay, California. In the fall of 1961, Von der Porten and 21 of his Santa Rosa Junior College students excavated four sites that had been previously identified by the Drake Navigators Guild (DNG). These sites were sites which he had previously investigated on behalf of—and while operating—as a member of the DNG. In 1962, he led a team of SJRC 23 students who further investigated DNG sites in Marin County and two other locations on the Sonoma Coast near the old Russian colony, Fort Ross. Later, SJRC continued the archaeology studies at Point Reyes National Seashore by including other instructors.

While in college, Von der Porten met Saryl Corrick and they were married in 1954. They had two sons.

Edward Paul Von der Porten (October 29, 1933 – April 9, 2018) was an American scholar noted for his work in history, archaeology, and museum practices. His areas of expertise included Sir Francis Drake, Drake's New Albion claim, Chinese porcelain, the Kriegsmarine , and Manila galleon history, and he was also the director of the Treasure Island Museum.

Edward Paul Von der Porten was born in New York City on October 29, 1933 and died in San Francisco on April 9, 2018, of strokes. His father was a banker, and when Von der Porten graduated from Stuyvesant High School, the family moved to San Francisco. At San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University), he earned his bachelor of arts degree in 1955. While attending post-graduate school at San Francisco State, he researched the German World War II navy, the Kriegsmarine, and in 1965 was awarded a master of arts degree.

Von der Porten investigated 16th century maritime history at Drakes Bay and Point Reyes, particularly with respect to Chinese porcelains. Clarence Shangraw of San Francisco's Asian Art Museum and Von der Porten studied the archived porcelain sherds and distinguished two different cargoes: one from Francis Drake Golden Hind anchorage in 1579 and another from Sebastián Cermeño's 1595 San Agustin shipwreck. His work—primarily as an officer of the Drake Navigators Guild—was instrumental in the recognition as Drakes Bay becoming a National Historic Landmark acknowledging the place where Francis Drake careened his ship.