Relating to the death of the Honorable Fred R. Harris, former Senator for the State of Oklahoma.

Legislation Details

The resolution honors the memory of Fred R. Harris, a former Senator from Oklahoma, who passed away on November 23, 2024, at the age of 94.
Fred R. Harris was born on November 13, 1930, in Walters, Oklahoma.
He graduated with honors from Walters High School in 1948 and earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma.
Harris practiced law in Lawton, Oklahoma, and founded a law firm.
He was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 1956, serving for eight years.
In 1964, he won a runoff election to become a U.S. Senator, first elected at the age of 33.
He was re-elected in 1966 for a full six-year term.
Harris served on several Senate committees, including Government Operations, Small Business, Public Works, and Finance.
He appointed one of the first female Senate pages in 1971.
He was involved in the creation of the Subcommittee on Executive Reorganization and Government Research and worked on welfare system improvements.
Harris co-chaired Hubert Humphrey’s presidential campaign in 1968 and served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970, promoting reforms for women and minorities.
He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders in 1967.
After his political career, he moved to New Mexico and served as a political science professor at the University of New Mexico from 1976 to 2006.
He founded the Fred Harris Congressional Internship Program and continued to author books on political topics.
The resolution expresses profound sorrow and requests communication of the resolution to the House of Representatives and transmission of an enrolled copy to Harris’s family.
The Senate will adjourn in honor of Fred R. Harris as a mark of respect.

Relating to the death of the Honorable Fred R. Harris, former Senator for the State of Oklahoma.

Cosponsors (99)