Nelson Harris is Baptist minister and a former

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Roanoke, Virginia, having served from 2004 to 2008. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, he was elected mayor in 2004 with 37% of the vote in a competitive four-way race against Republican Alice Hincker, Independent Delvis "Mac" McCadden, and Independent George A. Sgouros. Harris had previously served on the school board and

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

Biography

Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from

Radford University Radford University is a public university in Radford, Virginia. It is one of the state's eight doctorate-granting public universities. Founded in 1910, Radford offers curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, graduate programs inclu ...

and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Theological Seminary. Harris has done post-graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He teaches religion and philosophy at

Virginia Western Community College Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) is a public community college in Roanoke, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System. Students As of 2013, Virginia Western has over 12,000 students enrolled in the college and over ha ...

in Roanoke; and is currently the pastor of Heights Community Church in Roanoke (formally, Virginia Heights Baptist). Harris has also written or compiled several books about the history of Roanoke and the surrounding area. His books include the following titles: Aviation in Roanoke, Downtown Roanoke, Virginia Tech, The Norfolk & Western Railway, Hidden History of Roanoke, Stations and Depots of the Norfolk & Western Railway, Salem and Roanoke County in Vintage Postcards, Roanoke in Vintage Postcards, The Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry, and Greater Raleigh Court: A History of Virginia Heights, Norwich, Raleigh Court and Wasena. Harris has been published in the following periodicals and magazines: The Roanoker, Virginia Southwest, The Student, Log Home Living, Country Collectibles, and Historic Salem. In 2003, Harris was named a Marshall Memorial Fellow by the German Marshall Fund, allowing for study and travel in Europe. In 2006, Princeton Seminary named him a Pastoral Fellow for his study in pastoral theology. In 2005, Harris was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Radford University. He later served Radford University as a member of its Board of Visitors from 2006 through 2010, having received a gubernatorial appointment to the board. In Roanoke's May 2, 2006, municipal elections, Harris and then vice mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick backed a successful slate of three Democrats, running on an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

ticket dubbed "For the City" against the nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties. The election ended the city's long running debate about the fate of

Victory Stadium Victory Stadium was an American football stadium located in Roanoke, Virginia, built in 1942 and demolished in 2006. History Victory Stadium was constructed in 1942. The name was meant to be a rallying cry for Allied victory in World War II. ...

in favor of Harris' preference to replacing it with separate stadiums at Roanoke's two

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. The local Democratic party considered sanctions against Harris for supporting the independent ticket but differences were smoothed out by 2008. Harris ran for re-election in the May 2008 municipal election but lost to former mayor and fellow Democrat

David A. Bowers David Allen Bowers (born May 11, 1952) is a politician who served as mayor of Roanoke, Virginia for a first term from 1992 to 2000 and then for a second term from 2008 to 2016. Biography He previously served as mayor of the city from 1992 to 2 ...

who ran as an Independent; two other Independents were also in the race: Anita Powell, and George A. Sgouros.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Princeton Theological Seminary alumni Living people Harvard University alumni Mayors of Roanoke, Virginia Baptist ministers from the United States Radford University alumni Baptists from Virginia {{Virginia-mayor-stub