Representative Claude Harris

Claude Harris Jr. (June 29, 1940 – October 2, 1994) was an American politician and attorney who represented Alabama in the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, he served three terms in Congress during a significant period in late twentieth-century American political history, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his Alabama constituents. He was succeeded in the House by Earl F. Hilliard.

Harris was born on June 29, 1940, in Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama. He was educated in Alabama and pursued higher education at the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962. He continued his studies at the University of Alabama School of Law, receiving his law degree in 1965. In addition to his academic training, Harris served in the Alabama Army National Guard, combining legal preparation with military service early in his adult life.

Following his admission to the bar, Harris embarked on a legal career in public service. He became an assistant district attorney in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, a position he held until 1977. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases and representing the state in local courts, gaining substantial experience in trial work and the administration of justice. In 1977, he advanced to the judiciary when he took a seat as a state circuit judge. As a circuit judge, Harris presided over a broad range of civil and criminal matters, serving on the trial court of general jurisdiction in Alabama for approximately eight years.

In 1985, Harris stepped down from the bench to run for Congress, seeking to succeed Representative Richard Shelby, who was leaving the House to run for the United States Senate. Running as a Democrat from Alabama, Harris won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and was subsequently reelected in 1988 and 1990, serving three consecutive terms from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 1993. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Harris participated actively in the democratic process, contributing to the legislative work of the chamber and advocating for the needs and interests of his district and state.

Harris’s congressional service coincided with a period of significant national and international developments, including the end of the Cold War and major domestic policy debates. Among the legislation he supported, Harris voted for the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987. This act asserted United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction and transferred title to the respective states. The law was intended to empower states to manage these cultural and historical resources more effectively and to prevent treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. President Ronald Reagan signed the Abandoned Shipwreck Act into law on April 28, 1988. Harris declined to run for reelection in 1992 after the Alabama legislature reconfigured his congressional district into a majority-minority district in compliance with provisions of the Voting Rights Act, a change that significantly reduced his prospects for reelection in the newly drawn district.

After leaving Congress in January 1993, Harris continued his public service at the federal level. Under the administration of President Bill Clinton, he was appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama in 1993. In this capacity, he served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the region, overseeing federal prosecutions and representing the United States in civil and criminal matters in the federal courts of the Northern District of Alabama.

Harris’s later years were marked by his continued involvement in the law and public affairs until his health declined. He died of lung cancer on October 2, 1994, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was married to Barbara Harris, and the couple had two sons. His career reflected a progression from local prosecutor to state judge, member of Congress, and United States Attorney, encompassing nearly three decades of service in the judicial and legislative branches and in federal law enforcement.