Difference between revisions of "Eric W. Harris"

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'''Eric Wyckoff Harris, Sr.''' (January 8, 1916 &ndash; October 24, 2007), was an [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] [[business]]man and civic leader who in 1939 headed the committee which organized the first [[Louisiana]] chapter of the Jaycees, now called the United States Junior Chamber. A builder and [[real estate]] developer, he was co-owner of Hill Harris & Company from 1936 until 2005, when he and his brother, James C. Harris (1913–2009), closed the business, which had been founded by their father.<ref name=obit>Eric W. Harris obituary, ''Alexandria Town Talk'', October 25, 2007.</ref>
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'''Eric Wyckoff Harris, Sr.''' (January 8, 1916 &ndash; October 24, 2007), was an [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] [[business]]man and civic leader who in 1939 headed the committee which organized the first [[Louisiana]] chapter of the Jaycees, now called the United States Junior Chamber. A builder and [[real estate]] developer, he was co-owner of Hill Harris & Company from 1936 until 2005, when he and his brother, James C. Harris (1913–2009), closed the business, which had been founded by their father.<ref name=obit>Eric W. Harris obituary, ''Alexandria Town Talk'', October 25, 2007.</re
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Harris was born to Homer H. Harris, Sr. (1890–1971) and the former Arletta Cato (1888–1987) at Hard Times Plantation south of Alexandria. The family moved in 1921 to Alexandria, where he graduated from Bolton High School, attended [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] for two years, and graduated from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. During [[World War II]], Harris volunteered in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps, the forerunner of the [[United States Air Force]]. He piloted [[B-29]] bombers.<ref name=obit/>​
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Harris was one of three sons of Homer H. Harris, Sr. (1890–1971), and the former Arletta Cato (1888–1987). He was born at Hard Times Plantation south of Alexandria. The family moved in 1921 to Alexandria, where he graduated from Bolton High School, attended [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] for two years, and graduated from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. During [[World War II]], Harris volunteered in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps, the forerunner of the [[United States Air Force]]. He piloted [[B-29]] bombers.<ref name=obit/>​
  
 
Harris was a member of the Alexandria-Pineville [[Chamber of Commerce]] and chaired its aviation committee. He also served for a decade]on the Rapides Parish]Aviation Authority, including two years a president. Harris was a director of the Central Cities Development Corporation and a former president of the Rapides Parish Industrial Development Board. He was past president of the Alexandria Lions International and scored perfect attendance for sixty-three years. He was active in the Committee for a Better Alexandria and worked on the development of navigation]projects on the Red River.<ref name=obit/>​
 
Harris was a member of the Alexandria-Pineville [[Chamber of Commerce]] and chaired its aviation committee. He also served for a decade]on the Rapides Parish]Aviation Authority, including two years a president. Harris was a director of the Central Cities Development Corporation and a former president of the Rapides Parish Industrial Development Board. He was past president of the Alexandria Lions International and scored perfect attendance for sixty-three years. He was active in the Committee for a Better Alexandria and worked on the development of navigation]projects on the Red River.<ref name=obit/>​

Revision as of 13:54, March 14, 2019

Template:Infobox person​​​ Eric Wyckoff Harris, Sr. (January 8, 1916 – October 24, 2007), was an Alexandria businessman and civic leader who in 1939 headed the committee which organized the first Louisiana chapter of the Jaycees, now called the United States Junior Chamber. A builder and real estate developer, he was co-owner of Hill Harris & Company from 1936 until 2005, when he and his brother, James C. Harris (1913–2009), closed the business, which had been founded by their father.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag two daughters, Sandra Harris Kearney, and her husband, James Michael Kearney of Alexandria, and Conni Harris Smith of Lafayette, the widow of Hadley M. Smith (1940–1996); one son, Eric W. Harris, Jr. (born c. 1942) of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and five grandchildren.[1] He was preceded in death by another brother, Homer Harris, Jr. (1910–1999). Harris died in Alexandria at the age of ninety-one. His services were held First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, where he served on the building committee. Interment was at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.[1]

Harris' brother, James C. Harris, was also an LSU graduate and a United States Navy veteran of the Mediterranean, Middle East, African, and Pacific theaters of World War II, with service in the Philippines. James Harris, who retired from Hill-Harris at the age of ninety-two, was also active in the Alexandria community, having been former presidents of both the Kiwanis International and the Kent Plantation House, a restored 19th century structure near Bayou Rapides.[2]

References

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named obit
  2. Obituary of James C. Harris, Alexandria Town Talk, February 27, 2009.

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