Following is a biography of James Jabez Harrison
Rev. WILLIAM RINGGOLD HARRISON
ALICE VIRGINIA (GRADY) HARRISON
JAMES JABEZ HARRISON
JULIA (TURNER) HARRISON
HORACE P. TURNER
VIRGINIA LEE (BINNS) TURNER
VIRGINIA TURNER HARRISON
HORACE GAINES PUGH
Copied from CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, VOLUME II published in 1922
by the S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock.
Pages 547-8:
JAMES JABEZ HARRISON, vice president of the Home Life & Accident
Company of Little Rock, is thus identified with one of the important
business interests of the state and at the same time has been extremely
active as director of the Forward Education Movement of Arkansas. Since
the 1st of January, 1922, however, his relationship with the Forward
Education Movement has been merely of an advisory character, for on that
date he assumed the duties of active vice president and production
manager in the life department of the Home Life & Accident Company of
Little Rock. His progressive spirit allies him with many movements which
have to do with the progress and improvement of the commonwealth and his
labors are at all times far-reaching and resultant.
Mr. Harrison was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, June 26, 1891,
and is representative of a family of five sons and four daughters whose
parents are the Rev. WILLIAM R. and ALICE VIRGINIA (GRADY) HARRISON. His
father, a native of Mississippi, was born in Itawamba county, December
17, 1852. He prepared for the Methodist ministry and has devoted his
life to the work of the church, being now pastor of the Twenty-eighth
Street Methodist Episcopal church, South, in Little Rock. His wife was
born December 25, 1864 in Lockesburg, Sevier county, Arkansas, and they
were married on the 4th of October, 1882. Of their family of nine
children, two daughters died in infancy while the other seven are living.
JAMES J. HARRISON, who was the third in order of birth in the
family, was a pupil in the Hot Springs public schools in early youth and
afterward attended Henderson-Brown College at Arkadelphia, Arkansas,
through the year 1906-7. Later he was graduated from Hendrix College at
Conway, Arkansas, with he class of 1914, winning the Bachelor of Arts
degree. He dates his residence in Little Rock from 1919, when he became
an active factor in the business circles of the city as vice president of
the firm of H. G. PUGH & Company, printers and stationers, in which he is
still interested. As active vice president and production manager of the
Home Life & accident Company of Little Rock, he is identified with one of
the strongest financial organizations of the state.
On the 28th of April, 1920, in Little Rock, Mr. Harrison was
married to JULIA TURNER, whose birth occurred in Morrilton, Arkansas, May
10, 1893. she is a daughter of HORACE P. and VIRGINIA LEE (BINNS)
TURNER. The father, a native of Louisiana, resided for some years at
Morrilton, Conway county, Arkansas, but is now deceased. The mother, who
was born in New Kent county, Virginia, now makes her home in Little Rock.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are parents of a daughter, VIRGINIA TURNER, born
February 1, 1921.
In his political views Mr. Harrison has always been a democrat
and from 1915 until 1917 served as county examiner of Dallas county and
superintendent of schools in Fordyce. During the World war he joined the
army as a cadet in an Officers' Training Camp and in November, 1917, was
made captain of infantry, while in August 1918, he was promoted to the
grade of major. He served as an instructor in training camps during his
entire service, being located at Camp Stanley, Texas, at Camp Travis,
Texas, at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana and at Camp Pike, Arkansas,
remaining on active from July, 1917, until December 16, 1918. He
organized the American Legion in Arkansas and became the first department
commander of the state, serving from April, 1919 to August, 1920. He is
a member of the Ad Club and the Country Club of Little Rock. He is
likewise a Master Mason, while his religious faith is indicated in his
membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church, South, of which he is
lay leader. He is also teacher of the Victory class in the Methodist
Sunday school.
Mr. Harrison is the director of the Forward Education Movement of
Arkansas, which is doing most effective work in promoting high
educational standards in the state, and is secretary of a commission
appointed by Governor McRae to direct a survey of the public school
system of Arkansas.
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Charlotte