Oren Harris Supplementary Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS H242 138-A 138-B Harris

Staff Only
Not requestable

Scope and Content Note

Articles, clippings, photocopies, photos, reports, and correspondence which primarily documents some of the work of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and the Special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight, both chaired by Representative Oren Harris. A small number of records pertain to other aspects of Harris' legislative and judicial careers.

Arranged in 3 series, the material covers investigations of the Allied Telephone Company of Conway, Arkansas [1965], the Midwest Video Company of Little Rock, Arkansas [1965], the Lyndon Johnson family television and radio interests in Austin, Texas [1958], the J. Elroy McCaw case [1960], the Bernard Schwartz case [1958], and the Sherman Adams - Bernard Goldfine case [1958]. Also included is material pertaining to Oren Harris' objection to media coverage in Knight newspapers [1960]. The papers also contain an analysis of the Arkansas Seventh Congressional District [1952] and the transcript of a University of Texas Oral History Project interview in which Harris primarily relates his congressional memories of President Lyndon Johnson [1969].

Dates

1941-1969

Creator

Harris, Oren, 1903-1997 (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply

No Interlibrary Loan

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17)

Biographical Note

Oren Harris was born December 20, 1903 at Belton, Hempstead County, Arkansas, son of Homer and Bettie Lee Harris. After graduating from Prescott High School, he received his A.B. degree in 1929 from Henderson-Brown College, now Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and his LL.B. in 1930 from Cumberland University Law School, now part of Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.

In 1933, Harris became Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of Union County, Arkansas. He was then elected Prosecuting Attorney of the 13th Judicial District of Arkansas and served two terms, 1936-1940. Harris was elected to the House of Representatives in 1940, was subsequently reelected to Congress for 13 terms, representing the Fourth District of Arkansas for over 25 years. On January 3, 1957, he became Chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives.

Upon appointment by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Oren Harris began serving as United States District Judge on February 3, 1966. He became Chief Judge of the Western District of Arkansas and served on the Executive and Budget Committees of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

Harris was a member of the Baptist Church, the Masonic Order and Shrine, Knights of Pythias, Lions International, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He was a recipient of a number of public service awards and citations, and was also honored with the first Brooks Hays Christian Citizen Award and the George Washington Award. Oren Harris died on February 5, 1997.

-Taken from Oren Harris Supplementary Papers (MC 138C)