President Bush presents the award - Winner of the 1989 President's Volunteer Action Award. From ChessieHarris.org

Born:

January 16, 1906, Tuskegee, AL

Died:

June 9, 1997

Notes:

•  The Harrises moved to Huntsville around 1949 when their son enrolled at Oakwood College. - Huntsville Times

•  These are the words President Bush offered as he introduced Mrs. Harris at the Awards ceremony: "Down in Huntsville, Alabama, my dinner partner, my very same Chessie Harris, once took several abandoned children into her two-bedroom home. And when the welfare department demanded a boarding license, the Harrises built a house on land purchased with money from the sale of a family farm. And since 1958, that site has been a home for more than 800 children, or about 10 for each of Chessie's 82 years. Eight hundred children -- sounds like a weekend with my grandkids in Kennebunkport, Maine, but nevertheless -- [laughter]." - Bush Library


Related Links:

•  AlabamaMosaic: Huntsville-Madison County Public Library - Photo with informative caption (Originally found at http://digitalarchives.hmcpl.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p15431coll1&CISOPTR=164&CISOBOX=1&REC=2.)

•  Association of Adventists Women - Woman of the 1990 from the Association of Adventists Women (Originally found at http://www.aaw.cc/PDF_files/WOYA_90_Harris.pdf.)

•  Black SDA History - Bio by Janet N. Bentley and Frankie Glynn (Originally found at http://www.blacksdahistory.org/Chessie_Harris.html.)

•  Bush Library - Bush's comments from the award ceremony. (Originally found at http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/public_papers.php?id=294&year=1989&month=4.)

•  ChessieHarris.org - Bio from her foundations website. (Originally found at http://www.chessieharris.org/thechessieharrisstory.html.)

•  Huntsville Times - Article on the Harris Home