Irving Harris P’76, P’79
Irving Harris P’76, P’79, a dedicated Skidmore life trustee who supported the College’s growth and was named an honorary alumnus for his wide-ranging contributions to Skidmore, died peacefully in his Cincinnati, Ohio, home on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. He was 95.
Two of Irving's children, Jonathan Harris ’76 and Lisa Hollister ’79, graduated from Skidmore. Impressed by Skidmore’s potential, the distinguished attorney joined Skidmore’s Board of Trustees in 1977 and served until 1990.
“Irving was passionate about student and academic life and joined the Board of Trustees at a time when the College faced a number of challenges. Irving saw Skidmore’s potential for growth and worked hard to move Skidmore forward,” recalled Judith Pick Eissner ’64, a life trustee and former chair of the board. “Even in his later years, Irving and his wife, Selma, continued to attend events at Skidmore, a reflection of their continuing devotion to the College.”
Irving played important roles in Skidmore’s earliest capital campaigns, Wide Horizons and Celebration, which allowed Skidmore to grow and pursue important projects for the institution’s future. In the 1990s, both Irving and Selma were members of the Palamountain Benefit Honorary Committee and continued to support the Palamountain Scholar Program and the Parents Fund over the years.
Following the death of their son, Irving and Selma funded the Jonathan Lindley Harris ’76 Endowed Scholarship in 1999 and named a reading room in the Lucy Scribner Library in his honor. The Harris Lobby in the library also recognizes the family. Both Irving and Selma are members of Skidmore’s Parnassus Society.
For his many years of outstanding service to Skidmore, Irving received the Denis Kemball-Cook Award in 1999 and was named an honorary alumnus of Skidmore in 2019. In addition to his contributions to Skidmore, Irving served as trustee of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and his alma mater, University of Cincinnati College of Law. Irving practiced law for more than six decades.
Born on May 23, 1927, Irving served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1950, he married Selma Schottenstein Harris, who survives him. The couple had three children.
In addition to Selma, Irving is survived by his son Jeffrey and daughter, Lisa; daughter-in-law and son-in-law, Susan Cutler Harris and Dewey Hollister; grandchildren, Ammon Hollister, Jenna Harris, and Jason Harris; grandson-in-law, Dillon Teske; and great-grandchild, Rowan Harris Teske.