On December 25, 2025, Renowned Scholar and Professor Emeritus Dr. Charles Wesley Harris passed away. Born on September 12, 1927, in Auburn, Alabama, Dr. Harris had five siblings and was raised in rural Auburn. Dr. Harris came of age during the height of segregation. As a result, he attended segregated schools and graduated Valedictorian from the Lee County Training High School in Auburn. While later serving with distinction in the United States Army, Dr. Harris was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and Army of Occupation Medal among other honors.
Before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College in 1949 (cum laude), he was a schoolmate and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition, both Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, President of Morehouse, and Dr. Robert Brisbane, chair of the Political Science Department served as his mentors. He would then earn a Master of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Madison, both in Political Science. After completing post-doctoral and/or special studies at Harvard University, University of Michigan, The John Hopkins University (SAIS), and the Georgetown University Law Center, he worked in the public and governmental service careers before beginning an academic career at Coppin State College (now University) and later at Howard University. At Howard, Dr. Harris taught many courses in the fields of political theory, human resources, and urban politics. He also held several administrative roles at Howard, including as Chair of the Department of Political Science and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (now the College of Arts and Sciences).
During his tenure at Howard, Dr. Harris had many accomplishments as a scholar and mentor, including the receipt of a two million dollar grant from the Ford Foundation to recruit faculty and enhance graduate programs in the political science department and others in the College. After his retirement from Howard, As a result of Dr. Harris’s generosity, the department began sponsoring the annual Charles W. Harris Lecture in 2007. During his academic career, he received numerous awards and honors, but was proudest of his role as a husband to Edna Jefferson and father to their two daughters, Neeka and Angela. We at NCOBPS extend our gratitude to this exceptional scholar who paved the way to all of us.