Winder Russell HARRIS, Congress, VA (1888-1973)

HARRIS, Winder Russell, a Representative from Virginia; born in Wake County (now a part of Raleigh), N.C., December 3, 1888; attended the public schools and St. Mary’s College (now Belmont Abbey College), Belmont, N.C.; served in various editorial positions on newspapers in North Carolina and Virginia 1908-1918; member of the staff of Universal Service in Washington, D.C., 1918-1925; assistant secretary to the American delegation to the International Narcotics Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1924 and 1925; managing editor of the Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va., 1925-1941; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-seventh Congress, April 8, 1941, in a special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Colgate W. Darden, Jr.; reelected to the Seventy-eighth Congress and served from April 8, 1941, until his resignation on September 15, 1944; engaged as vice president, Shipbuilders’ Council of America, in Washington, D.C., until his retirement December 31, 1958; served as vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority from September 1955 until his resignation in November 1961; editor of the Alexandria Journal, the Arlington Journal, and the Fairfax County Journal-Standard until his retirement in March 1966; resided in Alexandria, Va., until his death there February 24, 1973; interment in Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, N.C.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present