Introduction
WILLIAM HARRIS was a prominent Camden businessman featured in South Jersey A History 1624–1924.
William Harris
South Jersey A History 1624–1924 — 1924
WILLIAM HARRIS—The profession of the law has commanded the attention of William Harris, of Camden, for the past eighteen years, and it is a matter of record that he was admitted to the bar of his native State as attorney in February, 1906, at the age of twenty-one years. This early fruition of his ambition is characteristic of the activities of Mr. Harris, for he is accustomed to carrying forward any enterprise or endeavor with which he is connected to prompt and permanent success. Mr. Harris is a member of a leading family of South Jersey, and a son of John Harris, who was a highly successful lawyer of his day. The mother, Gertrude (Moore) Harris, was also a member of a prominent family, and both parents are now deceased.
William Harris was born in Camden, August 26, 1884. He received his early education in the local public schools, and his graduation from high school occurred in the class of 1903. Taking up his professional studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Harris also studied law under William J. Thompson, Jr., while attending college. He was thus enabled to cover his preparations for his life-work at a very early age and was admitted to the bar of the State of New Jersey as attorney in February, 1906. Admitted as counselor in February, of 1909, he has gone ever forward to more definite and more widely recognized success. Following general lines of practice from the beginning, Mr. Harris has been active as a director and solicitor, also one of the organizers of the Memorial National Bank of Collingswood, at West Collingswood, New Jersey, and he is also a director of the West Collingswood Building and Loan Association. With offices located at No. 315 Market Street, in Camden, Mr. Harris has attained a strong influential position, and is considered one of the thoroughly representative professional men of the day.
A Republican by political affiliation, Mr. Harris has been more or less active for years in the councils of the party, and his recent appointment to the County Board of Taxation placed him on that important body in June, 1924. Fraternally, Mr. Harris is affiliated with Collingswood Lodge, No. 210, Free and Accepted Masons; Excelsior Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; Crescent Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; and he is a member of the Camden Young Men’s Christian Association, and the Camden County Branch of the American Red Cross. His clubs are: The Camden, the Tavistock Country, of Haddonfield, and the West Collingswood Rod and Gun Club. His chief leisure interests are golf, gunning and fishing. His religious affiliation is with the West Collingswood Methodist Episcopal Church.
William Harris married, April 7, 1909, in Camden, Ethel M. Sutton, born December 23, 1884, died June 19, 1922, daughter of John R. and Lizzie L. (Woolson) Sutton, her father a jeweler by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are the parents of one child, Elizabeth G., born April 14, 1910.