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Alfred W. Harris
Member From: 1881 - 1888
- Birth Date: August 19, 1853 Birth Place:Fairfax County, Virginia
- Death Date: March 24, 1920
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Ida R. Morris (m. December 31, 1884)
- Children: 6+
- Religion:
- Education: Howard University - Law Degree
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession:
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Encyclopedia Virginia
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
- Bio: Alfred W. Harris introduced the bill that chartered Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute (later Virginia State University) during his time in the House of Delegates (1881–1888). Born enslaved in Fairfax County, during the American Civil War (1861–1865) his family moved to Alexandria, where he attended a school operated by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands and later the city’s first segregated public schools. He won a seat on the Alexandria common council as a twenty-year-old and became a lawyer. Harris relocated in Petersburg and in 1881 won the first of four consecutive terms term in the House of Delegates, representing Dinwiddie County. He played key roles in Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute’s first years, serving as its de facto treasurer and the first secretary of the board of visitors. Harris strongly supported the Readjuster and later Republican Party leader William Mahone, even backing his candidate in the 1888 congressional election against John Mercer Langston. After leaving the House of Delegates, Harris served as a Newport News specials customs inspector and a Petersburg census enumerator. He resigned his post after being arrested and exonerated twice on charges of theft. Following a stroke, Harris died in his Petersburg home in 1920.
- Other Notable Service and/or Elected Offices: City Council of Alexandria
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1881-1882 | Dinwiddie | Readjuster | Courts of Justice
Courts of Justice Committee Library Committee Manufactures and Mechanics Arts Retrenchment and Economy Committee (Dates Unknown) |
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| 1883-1884 | Dinwiddie | Readjuster | Courts of Justice Committee
Library Committee Manufactures and Mechanics Arts Committee Retrenchment and Economy Committee Retrenchment and the Economy |
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| 1885-1887 | Dinwiddie | Readjuster | Courts of Justice Committee (Dates Unknown)
Immigration Committee Library Committee (Dates Unknown) Manufactures and Mechanics Arts Committee (Dates Unknown) Privileges and Elections Committee Retrenchment and Economy Committee (Dates Unknown) Schools and Colleges Committee |
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| 1887-1888 | Dinwiddie | Readjuster | Courts of Justice Committee (Dates Unknown)
Library Committee (Dates Unknown) Manufactures and Mechanics Arts Committee (Dates Unknown) Public Property Committee Retrenchment and Economy Committee (Dates Unknown) Schools and Colleges Committee |
*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.