Bishop Marquis LaFayette Harris papers

Collection

Identifier: 0000-0000-0000-0235

Staff Only

Scope and contents

The Bishop Marquis LaFayette Harris Papers span the years 1940 to 1966, with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1950s. This small collection consists of a limited number of personal and commemorative items. Included are photographs of Harris and his family, a plaque from Philander Smith College, and honorary Doctor of Laws degrees awarded to him by Bethune-Cookman College and Clark College. Also included is a commemorative plaque presented to his wife by the Gamma Alpha Chapter.

Dates

Creation: 1940-1966

Rights statement

All materials in this collection are either protected by copyright and/or are the property of the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center, Inc., and/or the copyright holder as appropriate. For more information, please contact archives@auctr.edu.

Biographical note

Bishop Marquis LaFayette Harris (1907-1966) was born near Tuskegee, Alabama, on March 8, 1907. He earned degrees from Clark College (B.S., 1928), Gammon Theological Seminary (B.D., 1929), Boston University (M.S.D., 1930), and Ohio State University (Ph.D.). Licensed as a Methodist minister in 1927, he served pastorates in Columbus, Ohio, before teaching at several institutions, including Clark College, Claflin College, and Sam Houston College. In 1936, he became president of Philander Smith College. Elected bishop in 1960, Harris participated actively in the General Conference, the General Board of Education, the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches. He died in Atlanta on October 7, 1966, and later that year, Simpson Chapel in the South Georgia Conference was renamed in his honor.

Moore Methodist Museum. Facebook post, February 4, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/