(1896-1970). Prominent member of the Dutch Section of the Theosophical Society (TS). He was born at Rotterdam on April 26, 1896 and joined the Theosophical Society in 1915. He studied philosophy and psychology under Professor G. Heymans at Grönigen University where he took a degree corresponding to M.A. in 1919. Poortman was a member of the Netherlands Society for Psychical Research, 1932-38, and Research Fellow in Philosophy at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., 1935-36. He received his doctorate from Amsterdam University in 1954. He co-edited Theosofia, the journal of the Netherlands Section, in 1938-59 and was a member of the board of the Netherlands Theosophical Research Center in 1954-68. He served as Professor of Metaphysics in the Spirit of Theosophy on behalf of the Foundation “Proclus” in Leiden University in 1958-67. Poortman died in the Hague on December 21, 1970.

P.S.H.

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