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November 2008

Life to hold memorial service for late chiropractor William Harris

November 17, 2008 — William M. Harris, DC, a member of the Board of Trustees of Life University and a prominent figure in the chiropractic profession for many decades, passed away Nov. 9, 2008.

At Harris' request, a profession-wide memorial service will be held on the Life University campus to celebrate his life and manifold accomplishments. Members of all chiropractic professional organizations are invited to the service and reception to follow.

Affectionately referred to as the "man in the red cap," Harris was widely recognized as a philanthropist who made significant contributions to the profession. A skilled businessman and investor, Harris established a non-profit organization in the 1980's to donate funding for chiropractic research and education. That organization, the William M. Harris Family Foundation, has given more than $11 million to these causes.

Buildings bear Harris's name in Pasadena, Texas; St. Louis, Mo.; and Davenport, Iowa. The Wolfe-Harris Center for Excellence at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn., will be dedicated in 2009. In 2004, Harris played a critical role in the restructuring and rebuilding of Life University. His service on the Board of Trustees helped ensure the ongoing growth and financial stability of Life University.

Harris's commitment to chiropractic began at an

early age. He witnessed his father's recovery from serious illness by means of a chiropractor, and he became determined to enter the profession. His family gathered together $500 from their cotton farm in Opelika, Ala., to pay for Harris' three-year tuition at Palmer College of Chiropractic. His family sent a small amount of money each month, which Dr. Harris supplemented by working nights and weekends. One of his fondest memories was that he was soon able to repay all the money that had been sent to him. His wise use of his monetary resources became something of a legend in the profession.

 "Dr. Harris was such a warm and gracious man, and his work with Life University has been invaluable," said Guy F. Riekeman, DC, president of Life University. "But beyond all of his tangible contributions, Dr. Harris has left us a legacy of the spirit; he was an icon representing the best of what we in this profession stand for and can rise to become."

The memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the Life University Sport Health Sciences building. Chiropractic professionals who wish to attend the service and the reception should RSVP through Nita Allen in the Office of the President at nallen@life.edu.

Source: Life University, www.life.edu

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