Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/121

 HARRIS

HARRIS

bia in 1811; was a trustee of Columbia, 1811-29, clerk of the board, 1811, aud was a correspond- ing member of the Massacliusetts historical society. He published various seruaons includ- ing his Farewell Sermon (1816). He died in New York city, Oct. 18, 18'29.

HARRIS, William Alexander, senator, was born in Loudoun county, Va., Oct. 29, 1841; son of William Alexander and Frances (Murray) Harris; grandson of Henry Harris of Fauquier county, Va., and a descendant of Henry Harris of Glamorgan, Wales, who with others obtained from William and Marj" a grant to ten miles square of crown lands on the south bank of the James river, above the great falls (now Rich- mond) in 1691. He was graduated from the Co- lumbian college, Washington, D.C., in 1859, and from the Virginia military institute in 1861. He joined the Confederate army and was adjutant- general on the staff of Gen. C. M. Wilcox, and subsequently ordnance officer in the divisions of Gens. R. E. Rodes and D. H. Hill, in the army of northern Virginia. In 186.'5 he removed to Kan- sas and was employed as civil engineer in the construction of the Kansas division of the Union Pacific railroad till 1868. He then removed to Linwood, Leavenworth county, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was agent for the sale of the Delaware reservation and other lands, 1868-76, and in 1892 was elected by Democratic and Populist votes a representative at large from Kan.sas in the 53d congress. He was defeated when renominated in 1894, and in 1897 he was elected by the Democrats and Populists a U.S. senator as successor to W. A. Peffer, for the term expiring March 3, 1903.

HARRIS, William Anderson, educator, was born in Augusta county, Va., July 17, 1827; son of Nathan and Ann Allan (Anderson) Harris, and a descendant of Robert Harris, who emi- grated from England about 1660, and settled in Hanover county, Va. He was graduated at the Virginia military institute in 1851, and was ad- mitted to the practice of law. He removed to Sparta, Ga., where he became principal of a j'oung ladies' institute. He removed to La Grange, Ga., in 1859, and accepted the presidency of La Grange Female college. He resigned to accept tlie presidency of Martha Washington college, Abington, Va., and at the close of the civil war he became president of Wesleyan female institute, Stanton, Va. In 1892 he removed to Roanoke, Va., and established the Virginia col- lege for the higher education of women. Ran- dolph Macon college gave him the degree of D.D. in 1875. He died in Roanoke, Va., Sept. 2, 1895.

HARRIS, William Logan, ME. bishop, was born in Richland county, near Mansfield, Ohio, Nov. 4, 1817, He was educated at Norwalk semi-

nary, and joined the Michigan conference of the M.E. church in 1837, which at this time included northern Ohio. By the subdivision of the confer- ence in 1840, he was a member of the North Ohio conference, and in 1856 of the Central Ohio con- ference. In 1845 he was instructor in the pre- l^aratory department, Ohio Wesleyan university, Delaware. Ohio, where he remained one year and then took up the itineracy, being stationed at Toledo, 1846-47, and Norwalk, 1848. He was Ijrincipal of Baldwin institute, Berea, 1848-51 ; professor of chemistry and natural history, Ohio Wesleyan university, 1851-60; corresponding as- sistant secretary of the missionary society of the church, 1860-72, and bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, 1872-87. He was a delegate to the general conferences, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868 and 1872, and at the several conferences served as secretary. He received the honorary degrees of D.D. from Allegheny college in 1856, and LL.D. from Baldwin university in 1870. He visited the mission stations of the church in Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, India, China and Japan in 1872-73. He published Poicers of the General Conference (1859) ; and with Judge Henry of Illinois Ecclesiastical Law (1870). He died in New York city. Sept. 7, 1887.

HARRIS, William Torrey, educator, was born at North Killingly, Conn., Sept. 10, 1835; son of William and Zilpah (Tori-ey) Harris; grandson of John Harris of Scituate, R.I., and a descendant of Thomas Harris, Roger Williams, Lawrence Wilkinson, Chad Brown, William Torrey, John Greene, and others well known in the early history of New England. He prepared for college at Phillips academy, Andover, and at- tended Yale for about two and a half years. In 1857 he removed to St. Louis, Mo., where he was a teacher, then principal, aud assistant superin- tendent of public schools till 1868 when he be- came superintendent, holding the office until 1880. His published reports during this period were contributed to the educational exhibit of the United States at the Paris exposition of 1878, and won for him the honorary title of Officier de I'Academie. These reports were placed in the library of the ministry of public instruction in Paris. In 1880 he visited Europe, and repre- sented the U.S. bureau of education at the Brus- sels international congress of educators. Upon returning home he took vip his residence in Con- cord, Mass., where he became an active member of the school of philosophy. He represented the U.S. bureau of education at the Paris exi^osition of 1889 and received the title of Officier de Tin- struction publique from the French government. The same year he became U.S. commissioner of education, removing to Washington, D. C. He was elected a member of the American historical asso-