History of WV, Old and New (1923), Vol. 2, p. 36:
John Thomas Harris. His uninterrupted service since 1895 as clerk of the Senate of West Virginia makes the name of John T. Harris probably as well known as that of any public official of the state in the present generation.
Mr. Harris was born in the Village of Harrisville, Ritchie County, Virginia (now in West Virginia), April 7, 1851. He reached manhood with a liberal education, though he first attended the subscription schools of the day, later the public schools of Washington, Pennsylvania, and during the year before the consolidation of Washington College with Jefferson College he was for a short time a student in the preparatory department of the former. In 1870 he entered West Virginia University at Morgantown, graduated Bachelor of Science with the class of 1873, and a few years later was honored with the Master of Science degree. In the meantime, as a boy he had learned printing in an old time country printing office. Following his college career he spent several years in newspaper work. In 1877 he went West, and was collected with railway service from 1878 to 1883 at Peoria and Detroit, in general office work and as private secretary to superintendents and general managers. He held a similar position with one of the lake lines in 1884 and the early part of 1885. Then, returning to his old home in West Virginia, Mr. Harris took up the profession of a shorthand law reporter. In 1887 he established himself in the City of Parkersburg, where he followed this work for more than twenty-five years. In that capacity he reported in Federal and State Courts, in some of the heaviest cases ever tried in the state.
January 8, 1895, Mr. Harris received the republican caucus nomination for clerk of the Senate of West Virginia. At the organization of that body on the following day he was duly elected, and since then he has been reelected thirteen times. Beginning in 1901, at every bi-ennial session up to and including that of 1921 he has received the unanimous vote of the Senate, the democrats seconding his nomination. For twenty-seven years therefore without a break he has filled the office of clerk of the Senate, and it is said that no other man in the United States has to his credit so long a continuous service record in a similar legislative position.
Ex-officio in a sense, Mr. Harris has performed an important routine of duty in related capacities, serving as secretary and official reporter of the Legislative Mine Investigating Committee, of a committee raised by the Legislature to visit and report upon the public institutions of the state, and also of the Virginia Debt Commission. The work, however, by which he is widely known throughout the state is as compiler, editor and publisher of the West Virginia Legislative Hand Book and Manual and Official Register. He brought out the first Hand Book in 1916. It was adopted in 1917 as an official publication of the Legislature, and has since then been issued yearly under his management and direction. Mr. Harris still keeps his home at Parkersburg. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Contributor: 1Anonymous1 (50006409)
John Thomas Harris. His uninterrupted service since 1895 as clerk of the Senate of West Virginia makes the name of John T. Harris probably as well known as that of any public official of the state in the present generation.
Mr. Harris was born in the Village of Harrisville, Ritchie County, Virginia (now in West Virginia), April 7, 1851. He reached manhood with a liberal education, though he first attended the subscription schools of the day, later the public schools of Washington, Pennsylvania, and during the year before the consolidation of Washington College with Jefferson College he was for a short time a student in the preparatory department of the former. In 1870 he entered West Virginia University at Morgantown, graduated Bachelor of Science with the class of 1873, and a few years later was honored with the Master of Science degree. In the meantime, as a boy he had learned printing in an old time country printing office. Following his college career he spent several years in newspaper work. In 1877 he went West, and was collected with railway service from 1878 to 1883 at Peoria and Detroit, in general office work and as private secretary to superintendents and general managers. He held a similar position with one of the lake lines in 1884 and the early part of 1885. Then, returning to his old home in West Virginia, Mr. Harris took up the profession of a shorthand law reporter. In 1887 he established himself in the City of Parkersburg, where he followed this work for more than twenty-five years. In that capacity he reported in Federal and State Courts, in some of the heaviest cases ever tried in the state.
January 8, 1895, Mr. Harris received the republican caucus nomination for clerk of the Senate of West Virginia. At the organization of that body on the following day he was duly elected, and since then he has been reelected thirteen times. Beginning in 1901, at every bi-ennial session up to and including that of 1921 he has received the unanimous vote of the Senate, the democrats seconding his nomination. For twenty-seven years therefore without a break he has filled the office of clerk of the Senate, and it is said that no other man in the United States has to his credit so long a continuous service record in a similar legislative position.
Ex-officio in a sense, Mr. Harris has performed an important routine of duty in related capacities, serving as secretary and official reporter of the Legislative Mine Investigating Committee, of a committee raised by the Legislature to visit and report upon the public institutions of the state, and also of the Virginia Debt Commission. The work, however, by which he is widely known throughout the state is as compiler, editor and publisher of the West Virginia Legislative Hand Book and Manual and Official Register. He brought out the first Hand Book in 1916. It was adopted in 1917 as an official publication of the Legislature, and has since then been issued yearly under his management and direction. Mr. Harris still keeps his home at Parkersburg. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Contributor: 1Anonymous1 (50006409)
History of WV, Old and New (1923), Vol. 2, p. 36:
John Thomas Harris. His uninterrupted service since 1895 as clerk of the Senate of West Virginia makes the name of John T. Harris probably as well known as that of any public official of the state in the present generation.
Mr. Harris was born in the Village of Harrisville, Ritchie County, Virginia (now in West Virginia), April 7, 1851. He reached manhood with a liberal education, though he first attended the subscription schools of the day, later the public schools of Washington, Pennsylvania, and during the year before the consolidation of Washington College with Jefferson College he was for a short time a student in the preparatory department of the former. In 1870 he entered West Virginia University at Morgantown, graduated Bachelor of Science with the class of 1873, and a few years later was honored with the Master of Science degree. In the meantime, as a boy he had learned printing in an old time country printing office. Following his college career he spent several years in newspaper work. In 1877 he went West, and was collected with railway service from 1878 to 1883 at Peoria and Detroit, in general office work and as private secretary to superintendents and general managers. He held a similar position with one of the lake lines in 1884 and the early part of 1885. Then, returning to his old home in West Virginia, Mr. Harris took up the profession of a shorthand law reporter. In 1887 he established himself in the City of Parkersburg, where he followed this work for more than twenty-five years. In that capacity he reported in Federal and State Courts, in some of the heaviest cases ever tried in the state.
January 8, 1895, Mr. Harris received the republican caucus nomination for clerk of the Senate of West Virginia. At the organization of that body on the following day he was duly elected, and since then he has been reelected thirteen times. Beginning in 1901, at every bi-ennial session up to and including that of 1921 he has received the unanimous vote of the Senate, the democrats seconding his nomination. For twenty-seven years therefore without a break he has filled the office of clerk of the Senate, and it is said that no other man in the United States has to his credit so long a continuous service record in a similar legislative position.
Ex-officio in a sense, Mr. Harris has performed an important routine of duty in related capacities, serving as secretary and official reporter of the Legislative Mine Investigating Committee, of a committee raised by the Legislature to visit and report upon the public institutions of the state, and also of the Virginia Debt Commission. The work, however, by which he is widely known throughout the state is as compiler, editor and publisher of the West Virginia Legislative Hand Book and Manual and Official Register. He brought out the first Hand Book in 1916. It was adopted in 1917 as an official publication of the Legislature, and has since then been issued yearly under his management and direction. Mr. Harris still keeps his home at Parkersburg. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Contributor: 1Anonymous1 (50006409)
John Thomas Harris. His uninterrupted service since 1895 as clerk of the Senate of West Virginia makes the name of John T. Harris probably as well known as that of any public official of the state in the present generation.
Mr. Harris was born in the Village of Harrisville, Ritchie County, Virginia (now in West Virginia), April 7, 1851. He reached manhood with a liberal education, though he first attended the subscription schools of the day, later the public schools of Washington, Pennsylvania, and during the year before the consolidation of Washington College with Jefferson College he was for a short time a student in the preparatory department of the former. In 1870 he entered West Virginia University at Morgantown, graduated Bachelor of Science with the class of 1873, and a few years later was honored with the Master of Science degree. In the meantime, as a boy he had learned printing in an old time country printing office. Following his college career he spent several years in newspaper work. In 1877 he went West, and was collected with railway service from 1878 to 1883 at Peoria and Detroit, in general office work and as private secretary to superintendents and general managers. He held a similar position with one of the lake lines in 1884 and the early part of 1885. Then, returning to his old home in West Virginia, Mr. Harris took up the profession of a shorthand law reporter. In 1887 he established himself in the City of Parkersburg, where he followed this work for more than twenty-five years. In that capacity he reported in Federal and State Courts, in some of the heaviest cases ever tried in the state.
January 8, 1895, Mr. Harris received the republican caucus nomination for clerk of the Senate of West Virginia. At the organization of that body on the following day he was duly elected, and since then he has been reelected thirteen times. Beginning in 1901, at every bi-ennial session up to and including that of 1921 he has received the unanimous vote of the Senate, the democrats seconding his nomination. For twenty-seven years therefore without a break he has filled the office of clerk of the Senate, and it is said that no other man in the United States has to his credit so long a continuous service record in a similar legislative position.
Ex-officio in a sense, Mr. Harris has performed an important routine of duty in related capacities, serving as secretary and official reporter of the Legislative Mine Investigating Committee, of a committee raised by the Legislature to visit and report upon the public institutions of the state, and also of the Virginia Debt Commission. The work, however, by which he is widely known throughout the state is as compiler, editor and publisher of the West Virginia Legislative Hand Book and Manual and Official Register. He brought out the first Hand Book in 1916. It was adopted in 1917 as an official publication of the Legislature, and has since then been issued yearly under his management and direction. Mr. Harris still keeps his home at Parkersburg. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Contributor: 1Anonymous1 (50006409)
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