Harold Joel Harris

HARRIS, Harold Joel
Kalamazoo Harold Joel Harris passed away on Monday, July 1, 2013. Harold was born December 15, 1924 in Patterson, NJ, the youngest of five sons, to Pauline and David Harris. In seventh grade, he moved to Roselle, New Jersey, where he attended high school and made friends with three people who remained his friends throughout his lifetime. He served in the Army during World War II, stationed in India and Ceylon Sri Lanka, and then attended Rutgers University on the G.I. Bill. He met and married his wife of 64 years, Phyllis in 1949. Upon earning his PhD from Ohio State University in 1954, they moved to Kalamazoo, where he joined the faculty of the English Department of Kalamazoo College. He taught there until his retirement in 1990. At "K" College, Harold had the opportunity to impact many students and he remained in touch with quite a few of them throughout their lives. In addition to teaching, which he loved, Harold was a leader in the educational community. He created and directed Scholar's Day and the Great Lakes Colleges Award Competition for New Young Writers, both of which exist to this day. A distinguished scholar, Harold taught abroad in both France and Turkey and read critical articles at French, Swiss, German and British institutions during the 1970's and 19980's. In 1979, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant to study Slavic literature in Seattle, Washington. He published much scholarly work, including studies of writers James Joyce, George Orwell and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Critical of the left wing, counter-cultural direction many colleges were taking, he co-founded the Michigan Association of Scholars to try to maintain high academic standards uncorrupted by political leanings. He also served on its board for many years. Harold was active in the local community, as well as the broader academic community. His activities included serving on the executive committee of the successful campaign to elect Paul Todd to Congress and, during the Vietnam War, chairing the Kalamazoo County Concerned Democrats. Some years later after his retirement from teaching, Harold resumed writing plays. Over a period of several years, he wrote ten plays, one of which was given a public reading locally. A loving husband and father, Harold is survived by his wife, Phyllis Harris; sons and daughters-in-law, David and Sharyn Harris, Daniel and Marilyn Harris and Larry and Jody Harris; granddaughters, Rachel, Lauren, Leah and Arielle; brother and sister-in-law, Lewis and Esther Harris; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Wallace Sadoff and Phyllis Sadoff; former daughter-in-law, Jean Harris. A Committal Service will be held at Ft. Custer National Cemetery on Monday, July 8, 2013 at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Jewish Federation or to a charity of your choice.