Nathaniel Edwin Harris
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Edwin Harris was an American lawyer and politician, and the 61st Governor of Georgia.
during the American Civil War
to escape Union
troops. At the age of sixteen, he joined the infantry of the Confederate States Army
and served until the end of the American Civil War eventually becoming an officer in the 16th Virginia Cavalry. After the war, he returned to his family's home in Tennessee
; however, they soon moved to Bartow County, Georgia
. In 1867, Harris attended the University of Georgia
(UGA) in Athens
, was a member of Chi Phi
fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society
, and graduated in 1870 with a B.A.
degree. In 1889, he became a UGA trustee and served on that board until his death.
After graduating college, Harris taught school for two years, studied law, and gained admittance to the state bar. He moved to Macon, Georgia
in 1873. He joined with future UGA chancellor Walter Barnard Hill
to form the law firm of Hill and Harris. From 1874 to 1882, he also served as the Macon city attorney.
in 1882 as a representative of Bibb County
and was reelected through 1885. His campaign platform when running was the establishment of a technological college. As a state representative in 1882, Harris introduced the bill to establish the Georgia Institute of Technology
(originally called the Georgia School of Technology until assuming its current name in 1948). That bill was approved by the Georgia General Assembly
on October 13, 1885, after failing to pass through the legislature in 1883 and again in 1884. Harris received public support in this matter from Henry W. Grady
and John Fletcher Hanson
.
The bill called for Governor Henry Dickerson McDaniel
to appoint a five-member commission to select the location of the new school and organize it. Harris was named to that group as chairman alongside Samuel N. Inman from Atlanta as the treasurer, Oliver S. Porter from Newnan, Georgia
, Edward R. Hodgson, Sr. from Athens, and Judge Columbus Heard from Greene County, Georgia
.
Meeting in Atlanta on October 19, 1886, the committee took 23 separate ballots amongst themselves before selecting Atlanta for the school's location over Macon, Milledgeville, Athens and Penfield
. Harris, Hodgson and Inman voted for their cities of residence on every ballot with Porter and Heard voting for Atlanta on the last ballot to give that city a majority. Harris was named the president of the school's Board of Trustees, and he served in that position the rest of his life.
Elected to the Georgia Senate
from 1894 to 1895, Harris then served as judge of the Superior Court of the Macon Circuit from 1912 until his resignation in 1915 to successfully run for Governor of Georgia. He was sworn in on June 26, 1915, and served until 1917 being the last governor of Georgia born outside the state of Georgia. During his tenure, Harris was noted for signing Prohibition
into state law. He returned to his Macon law practice after his gubernatorial term and served as Pension Commissioner of Georgia from 1924 to 1925 in addition to being president of the Electoral College of Georgia.
Harris was a first cousin of Alfred Alexander Taylor and Robert Love Taylor
, both of whom were United States Congress
men from, and Governors of, Tennessee.
in Macon.
Early life
Harris was born in Jonesboro, Tennessee, in 1846 and moved to GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to escape Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
troops. At the age of sixteen, he joined the infantry of the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and served until the end of the American Civil War eventually becoming an officer in the 16th Virginia Cavalry. After the war, he returned to his family's home in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; however, they soon moved to Bartow County, Georgia
Bartow County, Georgia
Bartow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 100,157. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2009 estimate, the county's explosive growth resulted in a population of 96,217, a 26.5% increase in less than ten years...
. In 1867, Harris attended the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(UGA) in Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, was a member of Chi Phi
Chi Phi
The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society
Phi Kappa Literary Society
The Phi Kappa Literary Society is a college literary society, located at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.The Society was founded in 1820 by Joseph Henry Lumpkin, later to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and eponym for the , and by William Crabbe, Edwin...
, and graduated in 1870 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. In 1889, he became a UGA trustee and served on that board until his death.
After graduating college, Harris taught school for two years, studied law, and gained admittance to the state bar. He moved to Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
in 1873. He joined with future UGA chancellor Walter Barnard Hill
Walter Barnard Hill
Walter Barnard Hill was chancellor of the University of Georgia in Athens from 1899 until his death in 1905 ....
to form the law firm of Hill and Harris. From 1874 to 1882, he also served as the Macon city attorney.
Political life and the formation of the Georgia Institute of Technology
Harris was elected to the Georgia House of RepresentativesGeorgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
in 1882 as a representative of Bibb County
Bibb County, Georgia
Bibb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 153,887. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 154,709...
and was reelected through 1885. His campaign platform when running was the establishment of a technological college. As a state representative in 1882, Harris introduced the bill to establish the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
(originally called the Georgia School of Technology until assuming its current name in 1948). That bill was approved by the Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
on October 13, 1885, after failing to pass through the legislature in 1883 and again in 1884. Harris received public support in this matter from Henry W. Grady
Henry W. Grady
Henry Woodfin Grady was a journalist and orator who helped reintegrate the states of the former Confederacy into the Union after the American Civil War....
and John Fletcher Hanson
John Fletcher Hanson
John Fletcher Hanson was a self-made industrialist who lived in Georgia and helped establish the Georgia School of Technology . The son of a farmer-preacher, Hanson learned about the brick and furniture industries in Barnesville, Georgia...
.
The bill called for Governor Henry Dickerson McDaniel
Henry Dickerson McDaniel
Henry Dickerson McDaniel was the 52nd Governor of Georgia from 1883 to 1886.Born in Monroe, Georgia, to Ira McDaniel, one of the first professors of Mercer University, McDaniel graduated at the head of his class in law at Mercer and established a practice in his home town...
to appoint a five-member commission to select the location of the new school and organize it. Harris was named to that group as chairman alongside Samuel N. Inman from Atlanta as the treasurer, Oliver S. Porter from Newnan, Georgia
Newnan, Georgia
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, Edward R. Hodgson, Sr. from Athens, and Judge Columbus Heard from Greene County, Georgia
Greene County, Georgia
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 3, 1786. As of 2000, the population is 14,406. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 15,662. The county seat is Greensboro...
.
Meeting in Atlanta on October 19, 1886, the committee took 23 separate ballots amongst themselves before selecting Atlanta for the school's location over Macon, Milledgeville, Athens and Penfield
Penfield, Georgia
Penfield, Georgia, in the United States was established shortly after 1829 in Greene County, Georgia, and named in honor of Josiah Penfield , a Savannah merchant and silversmith, who bequeathed $2,500.00 and a financial challenge to the Georgia Baptist Convention to match his gift for educational...
. Harris, Hodgson and Inman voted for their cities of residence on every ballot with Porter and Heard voting for Atlanta on the last ballot to give that city a majority. Harris was named the president of the school's Board of Trustees, and he served in that position the rest of his life.
Elected to the Georgia Senate
Georgia Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
from 1894 to 1895, Harris then served as judge of the Superior Court of the Macon Circuit from 1912 until his resignation in 1915 to successfully run for Governor of Georgia. He was sworn in on June 26, 1915, and served until 1917 being the last governor of Georgia born outside the state of Georgia. During his tenure, Harris was noted for signing Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
into state law. He returned to his Macon law practice after his gubernatorial term and served as Pension Commissioner of Georgia from 1924 to 1925 in addition to being president of the Electoral College of Georgia.
Harris was a first cousin of Alfred Alexander Taylor and Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor
Robert Love Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1879 to 1881, Governor of Tennessee from 1887 to 1891 and from 1897 to 1899, and subsequently a United States Senator from that state from 1907 until his death. He is notable for winning the governor's office in an election against...
, both of whom were United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
men from, and Governors of, Tennessee.
Death
Harris died at his summer home in Hampton, Tennessee in 1929 and was buried in Rose Hill CemeteryRose Hill Cemetery (Georgia)
Rose Hill Cemetery is in Macon, Georgia, U.S. The cemetery opened in 1840. It was a hangout and artistic inspiration for the Allman Brothers Band during their early years...
in Macon.
External links
- Georgia State Archives Roster of State Governors
- Georgia Governor's Gravesites Field Guide (1776–2003)
- History of Georgia Tech
- Portrait of Harris at the Secretary of State's official website
- History of the University of Georgia, Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca. 1949, pp.893,895–899,1205–1213
- Hugh J. Rowe, "Old Families of Athens", The Athens’ Banner Sunday, March 9, 1913
- Nathaniel E. Harris Collection, Richard Rusell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia