Leo Harris

College coach infobox
Name = Leo Harris


Caption =
DateOfBirth = August 6 1904
Birthplace = Santa Cruz, California
DateOfDeath = death date and age|1990|4|22|1904|8|6
Deathplace = Carmel, California
Sport = Football
Title = Head Coach
OverallRecord = 18-9-1
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID =
Player = Y
Years =
Team = Stanford
Position = Offensive tackle
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1933–1935
CoachTeams = Fresno State

Leo A. Harris (August 6 1904 – April 22 1990) was an American college football player and coach, and the first athletic director for the University of Oregon.

Playing and coaching career

Harris was a fullback and guard at Santa Cruz High School in Santa Cruz, California.cite news|title=Harris, former UO athletic director, dies|date=April 26 1990|work=The Oregonian] He attended Stanford University, where he played offensive tackle for legendary coach "Pop" Warner in 1925 and 1926.cite web| title =Letterwinners| work =Stanford Football Media Guide| date =2007| url =http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2007-stan-fb-media-guide.pdf| pages=p. 178| accessdate = 2007-08-24 ]

Following his collegiate playing career, Harris was football coach at Fresno State College from 1933 to 1935, winning Far West Conference championships the last two years. Harris also coached Fresno State's basketball program.

Oregon's first athletic director

In 1947, Harris was named athletic director at the University of Oregon, the first person to hold that title. At that time, Oregon's athletic department was in serious financial trouble.cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=243901|title=Leo Harris|publisher=GoDucks.com|accessdate=2007-08-24] Through fundraising and careful planning, Harris expanded both the quality of the University's athletic programs as well as its facilities. His most significant achievement was the construction of Autzen Stadium, built on land Harris had acquired for the purpose many years earlier, and paid for with money he had saved for the purpose. Harris also oversaw expansion of McArthur Court and improvements to Hayward Field and the baseball team's Howe Field.

Harris was also noted for striking a handshake deal with Walt Disney in 1947 that allowed Oregon to use the likeness of Donald Duck as the University's athletic mascot, "The Oregon Duck".cite web|url=http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=153778|title=The Duck|publisher=GoDucks.com|accessdate=2007-08-24] When Disney lawyers in the 1970s discovered that no written contract existed, the university produced a photograph of Harris alongside Walt Disney wearing a Donald-emblazoned Oregon jacket as proof that an agreement did exist. From that photo evidence, a formal contract licensing Donald's use by the university was created.cite web|url=http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2002/11/15/News/One-Duck.or.Two.part.1-1978791.shtml|title=One duck...or two?|last=Schmidt|first=Brad|date=November 15 2002|accessdate=2007-08-24|work=Oregon Daily Emerald]

Legacy

Harris served as Oregon's athletic director for 20 years, stepping down in 1967, shortly before Autzen Stadium was completed. Today, the stadium's address is on Leo Harris Parkway. Harris died at his Carmel, California retirement home in 1990. He was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year.cite web|url=http://www.oregonsportshall.com/inductee/roll/specialCont.htm|title=Special Contributions to Sports|publisher=Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|accessdate=2007-08-24]

References

Persondata
NAME = Harris, Leo A.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Harris, Leo
SHORT DESCRIPTION = 20th century American college football player and coach
DATE OF BIRTH = August 6 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH = Santa Cruz, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH = April 22 1990
PLACE OF DEATH = Carmel, California