Colonel William A. Harris, 1976 June 23
Abstract
Colonel William A. “Box” Harris (1918-1985) was a soldier, high-ranking police officer, and member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Harris was the first Black man to become a parole officer and Marshall for the state of Maryland. In this oral history interview, Harris details his time with the Baltimore Police Department and National Guard, including his involvement with the Cambridge and Baltimore riots of the 1960s. Harris addresses charges of police brutality and misconduct from his first-hand experience relating to the riots. He discusses his relationship with Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro III, as well as the mayor’s relationships with prominent civil rights leaders in Baltimore, including Furman Templeton and Carl Murphy. Harris goes into detail about his work alongside the NAACP and his opinions on the Black Panthers and the Soul School as part of the new generation of civil rights activists. He discusses the role of the Jackson family in Baltimore politics, and his work with Lillie May Carroll Jackson and Freedom House. Harris talks about the advancements made under Donald Pomerlau in integrating the Baltimore Police Department, including the prioritization of training and education within the department.
Dates
- 1976 June 23
Creator
- Harris, William A. (Narrator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Extent
95 Minutes (Audio recording)
56 Pages (Transcript)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Processing Information
There are an additional 10 pages of supplementary material (curriculum vitae and interview evaluation) included after the transcript.
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of 87 oral history interviews and 4 other related items. Materials available for the interviews include audio recordings, transcripts, tape indexes, newspaper clippings, biographical information, and interview evaluations. Each item record indicates whether a complete transcript or an uncorrected transcript is available for an oral history.
All recordings within the collection are digitized and continue to be added to MCHC's Digital Collections portal.
Interviews were conducted from 1975-1977, with some earlier recordings made prior to the project added to the collection. Narrators range from leaders in the Maryland civil rights movement and local activists, to people opposed to the movement. Narrators include Lillie May Carroll Jackson’s children: Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Virginia Jackson Kiah, and Bowen Keiffer Jackson; Parren Mitchell, U.S. Congressman, 1971-1987; Donald G. Murray, the first African American admitted to the University of Maryland Law School; Verda Welcome, one of the first Black women to be elected to a state Senate; Thomas J. D’Alesandro III, mayor of Baltimore, 1967-1971; Clarence Mitchell, Jr., chief lobbyist to the NAACP; Vernon Naimaster, Great Titan of the Maryland Ku Klux Klan; and Dr. J.E.T. Camper, a prominent physician who also devoted his career to seeking racial justice and equality.
In addition to these oral history interviews, there are four items related to the project that are included with the collection. There is an audio recording of a radio program on which narrators David Glenn and Judge Robert Watts appeared to discuss the McKeldin-Jackson project with host Alan Christian. There is an audio recording as well as textual materials from the colloquium and exhibition held at the Maryland Historical Society to commemorate the McKeldin-Jackson project on November 16, 1976. There is also a research paper written by a Goucher College student on Theodore R. McKeldin and the civil rights movement in Maryland and a binder containing information on the development and progress of the McKeldin-Jackson project.
Creator
- Harris, William A. (Narrator, Person)
- Conwell, Susan (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org