ASHLAND — Bill Harris achieved a lot in his life.
He was born in Tennessee, and endured a challenging childhood before attending Army Intelligence School and serving in the Marine corps, in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
While he was a Marine, Bill attended school at the University of Arizona with a goal of becoming a teacher. He graduated with honors.
After retiring from the Marines in 1977, Bill moved to Ohio and started selling cars, owning his own dealership.
He first ran for office in 1994, and served in the Ohio Senate until 2010. He served as president of the Ohio Senate from 2005 to 2010.
According to Bill’s son Scott Harris, through it all his dad remained humble. Scott attributes this to his background; Bill worked hard for all that he accomplished, and expected the same from his children.
For example, Scott took over the dealership from his father and still runs it today. His dad didn’t believe in nepotism, so Scott had to prove himself, the same as anyone else would’ve had to. He credits his father’s investment in him for helping him earn his own accomplishments.
“It’s extremely humbling to know where we all came from and to know the achievements he made, and the struggles and efforts he’s put forth and the legacy he’s created,” Scott Harris said of his dad.
Bill passed away back in 2017 after a battle with cancer, but he’s still collecting honors.
This year, thanks in part to the efforts of a group of former staffers and colleagues from when he was Senate president, Bill is one of 20 veterans to earn a spot in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.
The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame “honors outstanding service and accomplishment following honorable service in the military.” This year’s class is the 33rd to be inducted.
Earning a spot
Aleah Page worked as an administrative assistant for Bill Harris when he served as the Ohio Senate president. She stayed in his office from 2007 to 2010, after graduating with a degree in political science from The Ohio State University.
She recalled Harris as a great boss who fostered respect among colleagues in the office, adding he prioritized family. This helped her adjust to her first job, to have a boss who was caring and respectful toward his staff.
Page and Scott Harris said there had been several efforts to help Bill get inducted prior to this year.
This year, Page played a role — alongside around four more of Bill’s former staff members and Senate colleagues — in helping clinch him a spot as one of the Hall of Fame’s inductees.
The group collected information about Bill and compiled his biographical information to submit. Then, it was a waiting game until Page received a call that he’d received the honor this year.
“I almost cried, to be honest,” Page said. “… I was very very excited, and it just felt like there was no one more fitting.”
Lessons learned
In both Page and Scott Harris’s views, the honor is one that’s long been due for a man who served his community in so many capacities.
“His whole career was really focused on service to his community and to his country,” Page said.
Those sentiments are also shared by director of Ashland County Veterans Services, Adam Boyce.
“All I can say is that after being nominated multiple times in the past, that I am glad his accomplishments are finally being recognized,” Boyce stated in an email to Ashland Source. “He was an amazing man.”
Scott said the first and greatest honor for his dad was being a Marine. But the induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame is “right by it.”
Harris’s induction will take place Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Fawcett Center on The Ohio State University’s campus. It is open to the public. The full list of inductees can be found on the Ohio Department of Veterans Services website.
