Harris, Irving B.

Irving B. Harris died in September of 2004, was Chairman of the Harris Foundation. Formerly, Harris served as the Chair of the Executive Committee of Pittway Corporation, which was sold to Honeywell. In 1948, Harris sold the Toni Company to Gillette.

Harris is a long-time supporter of education reform issues. He has given millions to support a variety of educational organizations (including the Irving B. Harris School at the University of Chicago); most recently, he contributed $39 million ($24 million as a loan) to Music and Dance Theater Chicago for a facility in Chicago's new Millennium Park. In 1996, Yale University Press published his book Children in Jeopardy, which sought to draw more attention to the issues surrounding teenage pregnancy. Harris served as the Board Chairman Emeritus of the Ounce of Prevention Fund.

Irving B. Harris was a career patron of unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Paul Vallas (D).

From 1993 to 2001, Irving B. Harris gave $378,000 to candidates for Illinois statewide constitutional and legislative office, 93% of which was contributed to Democrats.

Last revised June, 2011