Norman Wait Harris
Norman Wait Harris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Berkshire County, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 1916 (aged 69) Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation | Financier |
| Known for | Founder of N.W. Harris & Co., Harris Bank, Harris, Forbes & Co., Harris, Hall & Co. |
Norman Wait Harris (August 15, 1846 – July 15, 1916) was a prominent American financier who founded the Chicago-based firm N.W. Harris & Co., which later evolved into Harris Bank. He also established its associated entities, including Harris, Forbes & Co. and subsequently Harris, Hall & Co..
Biography
Harris was born in 1846 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts to parents Nathan Wait Harris and C. Emeline Wadsworth Harris. At the age of 17, he completed his education at Westfield Academy and embarked on a career in business. By 1867, when he was 21 years old, he became secretary of the Union Central Life Insurance Company in Cincinnati, a firm he played a role in founding.
In 1882, he launched N.W. Harris & Co., a banking enterprise headquartered in Chicago that subsequently expanded its presence to New York City and Boston. A significant restructuring took place in 1907 when Harris created the Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago alongside Harris, Forbes & Co. based in New York.
While traveling through Asia in 1916, Harris experienced a heart attack while in Japan. After a short stay in Seattle upon his return to the United States, he passed away two months later at his summer residence in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He was laid to rest at Rosehill Cemetery located in Chicago.
Philanthropy
During his later life, Harris became well-known for his philanthropic efforts centered on institutions within Chicago. Among his notable contributions was funding to the University of Chicago, where he endowed the "Institute of Politics" in 1924. He also donated $250,000 to the Field Museum to support an expansion of its public school programs and provided support to the YMCA. In 1913, Harris gave $250,000 to Northwestern University for the development of Harris Hall of Political Science and History (currently known as Harris Hall), prominently situated at the university’s main entrance.
His generosity extended to the Chicago Training School for Home and Foreign Missions, recognized as the largest training institution for Methodist missionaries in the United States. As an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Harris contributed land for the establishment of its central campus and the construction of its chapel.