Addison Clay Harris (October 1, 1840 – September 2, 1916) was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and civic leader in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, who served as a Republican member of the Indiana Senate (1876 to 1880) and a U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) to Austria-Hungary (1899 to 1901). The

Wayne County, Indiana Wayne County is a county located in east central Indiana, United States, on the border with Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,917. The county seat is Richmond. Wayne County comprises the Richmond, IN Micropolitan Statistica ...

, native graduated from Northwestern Christian University (present-day Butler University) in 1862 and was admitted to the bar in 1865, the same year he established a law partnership with John T. Dye in Indianapolis. Harris was a founding member (1878) and president (1883 and 1890) of the Indianapolis Bar Association; a founder and president (1899 to 1904) of the Indiana Law School, which was a forerunner to the

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (IU McKinney) is located on the campus of Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Indianapolis, Indiana, the urban campus of Indiana University. In the summer of 2001 ...

in Indianapolis; a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

in 1896; president of the

Indiana State Bar Association The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Indiana. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA membership is not required of lawyers licensed to practice in Indiana. Th ...

(1904); a member (1905–1916) and president (1909 to 1916) of

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

board of trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

; and a member of the

Indiana Historical Society The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies and describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". It is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street ...

and the

Columbia Club The Columbia Club is a private club located on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The current structure was built in 1925 as the club's third home on the same site. Club history The Columbia Club was originally formed on February ...

Early life and education

Addison Clay Harris was born on October 1, 1840, in rural

, and was one of Martha (Young) and Branson Lewis Harris's two sons. Branson Harris, a Wayne County farmer, also served in three sessions of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

(1853, 1875, and 1877). Branson Harris's ancestors came to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

from

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

; his father moved the family of

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

to settle in

. Addison Harris received his early education in local Quaker schools near his Wayne County home. He enrolled at North Western Christian University (present-day Butler University) in 1860, and graduated two years later in 1862. After college he read law for three years at the Indianapolis firm of Barbour and Howland and studied under

Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana ...

Justice

Samuel E. Perkins Samuel Elliott Perkins (December 6, 1811 – December 17, 1879)Minde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt,Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices, ''Indiana Law Review'', Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced ...

Marriage and family

Harris met his wife, India Crago (1848–1948) of

Connersville, Indiana Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...

, when she came to Indianapolis to attend North Western Christian University. Harris and Crago were married on May 14, 1868. India Harris was active in the Art Association of Indianapolis, the forerunner to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

's Herron School of Art and Design. She served on its board of trustees, which including leadership roles as recording secretary (1893–1899) and as its fifth president (1904–1907). The couple had no children. Addison and India Harris's primary residence was located on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis. In addition to their Indianapolis home, Harris acquired property in rural

Hamilton County, Indiana Hamilton County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States Census recorded a population of 347,467. The county seat is Noblesville. Hamilton County is part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...

, in 1880 and later had the home on the site remodeled and enlarged to use as a summer residence. The

West-Harris House West-Harris House, also known as Ambassador House, is a historic home located at 106th Street and Eller Road in Fishers, Hamilton County, Indiana. The ell-shaped, two-story, Colonial Revival-style dwelling with a large attic and a central chimn ...

in Hamilton County was later nicknamed Ambassador House in reference to his diplomatic service as a U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) to Austria-Hungary from 1899 to 1901.

Career

Harris was admitted to the bar in 1865 and established a law partnership with John T. Dye in Indianapolis, Indiana. They dissolved their fourteen-year partnership in 1879. Harris, who specialized in corporate law, continued to practice law on his own, becoming one of the state's prominent lawyers in the late nineteenth century. Harris was also a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and active in state politics. He served in the Indiana Senate from 1876 to 1880, but was unsuccessful in his bid for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in 1889. Harris used his political connections with

Charles W. Fairbanks Charles Warren Fairbanks (May 11, 1852 – June 4, 1918) was an American politician who served as a senator from Indiana from 1897 to 1905 and the 26th vice president of the United States from 1905 to 1909. He was also the Republican vice presid ...

, who was serving as

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Indiana at that time, to secure an appointment in 1899 as U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) to Austria-Hungary. Harris resigned his diplomatic post and was recalled to the United States in 1901. He resumed his law career in Indianapolis and in his later years served as president of the

and as a member of

, among other civic activities.

Lawyer

Harris spent a year teaching before establishing a law practice in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was admitted to the bar in 1865, the same year he formed a law partnership with John T. Dye. On November 30, 1878, a gathering of forty local attorneys that included the future

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Benjamin Harrison and future

U.S. Vice President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...

met in the law offices of Dye and Harris to establish the Indianapolis Bar Association. Harris served as president of the association in 1883 and in 1890. Harris and Dye maintained their law practice for fourteen years, but dissolved the partnership in 1879, when Dye went to work for the

Big Four Railroad The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States. It operated in affiliation with the New York Central system. I ...

. Afterwards, Harris practiced law alone, mainly focusing on constitutional law and corporate law, his specialty. Harris became one of the state's most prominent lawyers in the late nineteenth century and first decade of the twentieth century. He supported the concept of

workers' compensation Workers' compensation or workers' comp is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her emp ...

and favored the use of

arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...

boards to settle labor disputes. Harris also authored ''Modern Views of Compensation for Personal Injuries'' (Indianapolis, 1909). In addition, he delivered lectures at Purdue University regarding railroads and railroad management that were later published.

Indiana politician

Harris, a member of the

, was elected to Indiana Senate representing

Marion County, Indiana Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census, 2020 United States census reported a population of 977,203, making it the largest county in the state and 51st List of the most populous counties in the United ...

, in 1876. He served in two sessions of the Indiana General Assembly (1877 and 1879) before his term ended in 1880. Harris favored progressive legislation. He became a member of the Senate's judicial committee and a leader of the Republicans on the Senate floor at a time when the state had a Democratic majority. While Harris was serving in his first session of the state senate in 1877, his father, Branson Harris, was serving in the

. In 1889 Harris was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the

. He served as a

for Indiana in 1896.

Diplomat

Harris used his connections in the state's Republican Party and his friendship with Charles Fairbanks, a U.S. senator from Indiana at that time, to secure an appointment on January 10, 1899, from

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

to serve as U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Austria-Hungary. Harris replaced Charlemagne Tower Jr., who was appointed

U.S. ambassador to Russia The ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the Russian Federation. Since September 4, 2022, Elizabeth Rood is serving as the ...

. Harris served in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, until he resigned and was recalled to the United States in 1901. Harris and his wife returned to Indianapolis, where he resumed a private law practice.

Community service

Harris was active in civic affairs, especially in the areas of law and higher education. He helped found the Indiana Law School (1893), in addition to serving on its board of directors, as an early instructor, and as the school's president (1899 to 1904). The private law school was a forerunner to the

in Indianapolis. In addition his leadership at the law school, Harris was president of the

(1904), and served on the University of Indianapolis's board of trustees (1899 to 1904). He joined

's board of trustees on March 29, 1905, and served as its president from 1909 until his death in 1916. Harris was also a member of the

and the

in Indianapolis.

Death and legacy

Harris suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

and died in Indianapolis on September 2, 1916. He is buried at

Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...

in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Harris's legacy includes his contributions to the state’s legal profession, most notably the formation of the Indianapolis Bar Association, which has grown from its original 40 members to a more than 5,100, and the Indiana State Bar Association, which also continues to serve the state's legal community. To save it from demolition the Town (present-day City) of

Fishers, Indiana Fishers is a city in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 76,794, and by 2019 the estimated population was 95,310. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidl ...

, supervised the move of Harris's summer home in Hamilton County from its original location at 96th Street and Allisonville Road to 106th Street and Eller Road (present-day Heritage Park at White River) in 1996. The

(also known as Ambassador House) was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1999. The restored home is operated as a local history museum and a site for community events and private rentals.

Honors and tributes

At India Crago Harris's bequest, a trust in honor of her husband was established in 1948 to fund a public lecture series. The Addison C. Harris Memorial Lecture brings prominent legal scholars to Indiana to lecture at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...

Maurer School of Law The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The school is named after Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer, an Indianapolis businessman and 1967 alumnus who donated $35 million in 2008 ...

. The first lectures in the series were delivered in 1949. More recently, Professor Jack Balkin,

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

, delivered, "The Recent Unpleasantness: Understanding the Cycles of Constitutional Time," on September 13, 2017."Abstract" for For a list of the Addison C. Harris Memorial Lectures, see:

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Addison C. 1840 births 1916 deaths People from Wayne County, Indiana People from Indianapolis Indiana lawyers 20th-century American diplomats Republican Party Indiana state senators Indiana Historical Society Butler University alumni 19th-century American lawyers