1954
(496)
(Managing Director, Harris Ltd., House Furnishers)
Born in Tredegar, 13th May 1899. He is of the Jewish Faith and spent his early years in Newport, Monmouth, shire, coming to Leicester in 1926.
Elected to the City Council for Spinney Hill Ward in 1937, he continued to represent this Ward until his election to the Aldermanic Bench in 1949. Alderman Harris was High Bailiff of the City in 1952/53 during the Lord Mayoralty of Alderman Sir Geoffrey Barnett.
He has been a member of a number of committees of the City Council, notably Education, Watch, Parliamentary and General Purposes and Slum Clearance but per, haps the most important phase of his extensive civic activities has been in connection with the Finance Committee. He has been a member of this Committee since 1937 and has held the position of Vice, Chairman for more than ten years.
He is Chairman of the City of Leicester Local Valuation Panel and has held this office since the Panel was constituted in 1949 under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1948, to deal with appeals against the assessment of properties for rating purposes. Alderman Harris was a member of the Rating and Valuation Committee from 1945 and was Chairman of that Committee from 1949 until the Committee ceased to exist in May, 1954.
For a number of years Alderman Harris has taken an active part in politics on behalf of the Conservative party and for a considerable period served as Vice, Chairman and as whip for the Conservative Group on the City Council. He was appointed Chairman of the Group on relinquishing the office of Lord Mayor.
Alderman Harris' year of office was notable for the fact that in July 1954, he flew to Germany to attend the ceremony of the Presentation of New Colours to the 1st Battalion, the Royal Leicestershire Regiment. This was the first occasion on record on which a Lord Mayor of the City has left the country to fulfil an official engagement.
During the First World War, Alderman Harris served in the Monmouthshire Regiment and subsequently went to France with the Welsh Regiment. In the later months of the war, he saw service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In the Second World War, he was a member of the Leicester Emergency Committee which was responsible for Civil Defence. Alderman Harris was in charge of the City's air raid shelter arrangements and he raised a shelter warden corps of 3,750 volunteers. In addition, he was Intelligence Officer to the 4th Battalion, Home Guard and a member of the Special Constabulary. He was also Chairman of the "Spitfire Fund" Committee, which raised £35,000 for the purchase of aircraft-the highest total of any provincial City.
Alderman Harris has been a member of the Leicester Hebrew Congregation for nearly 30 years; has served on the Congregation Committee and has acted as its Secretary and Treasurer. On the 29th July 1954 he laid the foundation stone of the Jewish Communal and Youth Centre in Highfield Street.
Alderman Harris was married in 1926 to Rachel Rubinstein, and has one son and one daughter.
