He was born into a traditional New England family, USA, on December 19, 1868, in Littleton, New Hampshire.

An excellent singer, she studied for several years at the New England Conservatory of Music. In the early 1900s, she switched from her singing career to writing; after several of his stories appeared in popular magazines and newspapers, he published his first book, Crossed Currents, in 1907. Miss Billy, published in 1911, was his first really successful book.

The book that made her a classic author, however, was Pollyanna, which became a phenomenon immediately upon its publication in 1913. A million copies were sold that year, and the book has never been unread since. , in many countries. Two years later, E. H. Porter wrote a sequel, Young Pollyanna, another instant and timeless hit.

Pollyanna was adapted for Broadway in 1916 and for the cinema in 1920. The Disney Studios version, released in 1960, remains popular today. E. H. Porter died on May 21, 1920, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Several Pollyanna sequels were written by other authors after her death.