Herbert Harris Explained

Herbert E. Harris
Image Name:Herbert Harris.jpg
Birth Date:14 April 1926
Birth Place:Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Death Place:Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S.
Resting Place:Quantico National Cemetery
State:Virginia
District:8th
Term Start:January 3, 1975
Term End:January 3, 1981
Preceded:Stanford Parris
Succeeded:Stanford Parris
Office2:Member of the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors from the Mount Vernon District
Term Start2:1968
Term End2:1974
Preceded2:Frank F. Everest, Jr.
Succeeded2:Warren I. Cikins
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Nancy and Rae Allen
Residence:Mount Vernon, Virginia

Herbert Eugene Harris II (April 14, 1926 – December 24, 2014) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia. He served three consecutive terms from 1975 to 1981.

His district included part of Fairfax County.

Early life

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Harris attended St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, Kansas City from 1930 to 1939.He graduated from Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, 1943.He attended Missouri Valley College, Marshall, from 1944 to 1945, and University of Notre Dame from 1945 to 1946.He earned a B.A. from Rockhurst College in 1948 and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C., 1951.He was admitted to the Missouri and District of Columbia bars in 1951 and commenced practice in Kansas City.He moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1951.He is the cofounder, vice president, and general counsel of the international trade consultants firm of Warner & Harris, Inc.He served on the Fairfax County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors from 1968 to 1974.He served as member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from 1968 to 1974.He served as vice-chairman of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from 1970 to 1974.

Congress

Harris was elected as a Democrat to the 94th Congress in 1974, defeating incumbent Rep. Stanford E. Parris. He was re-elected to the 95th and 96th Congresses, serving January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1981, overall. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1980 to the 97th Congress, defeated by Stanford E. Parris, who regained his former congressional seat. In 1982, Harris attempted a comeback, but lost 48.6%-49.7%. Harris offered sympathy when Stanford E. Parris died in 2010.

Electoral history

: Results 1974 - 1980[1] ! Year!! Democrat! Votes! Pct!! Republican! Votes! Pct!! 3rd Party! Party! Votes! Pct!
1974Herbert Harris align="right" 53,07458%Stanford Parris align="right" 38,99742%
1976Herbert Harris align="right" 83,24552%James Tate align="right" 68,72943%Michael CannonIndependent align="right" 9,2926%
1978Herbert Harris align="right" 56,13750%Jack Herrity align="right" 52,39647%Charles CoeIndependent align="right" 2,6322%
1980Herbert Harris align="right" 94,53048%Stanford Parris align="right" 95,62449%Deborah FrantzIndependent align="right" 5,7293%
1982Herbert Harris68,07148%Stanford Parris69,62050%Austin W. MorrillIndependent2,3732%

Personal life

He resumed the practice of law with firm of Harris & Berg in Washington, D.C. He was a resident of Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Harris died on December 24, 2014, at his house in Fairfax County, Virginia, aged 88.

While in Congress, he was a key proponent for establishing the Quantico National Cemetery.[2] He was interred there with his wife, Nancy Fodell Harris. Mr. Allen was also married to Rae Allen, famous Broadway and television actress.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Election Statistics . 2010-12-23 . Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070725184700/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html . 2007-07-25 .
  2. News: Weiner . Rachel . Herbert E. Harris II, former congressman from Northern Virginia, dies at 88 . 30 October 2019 . The Washington Post . December 29, 2014.