John P. Harris
{{Short description|American businessman and politician (1871–1926)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = John P. Harris
|image=File:Senator John P. Harris, President, Harris Amusement Companies Nvasouvenir192307nati 0112 (cropped).jpg
|birth_name=John Paul Harris
| birth_date = {{birth date|1871|12|4}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1926|01|26|1871|12|4}}
| death_place = Pennsylvania State Capitol
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| nationality = American
| party = Republican
| spouse =
| office = Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 45th District
| term_start = 1922
| term_end = 1926
| predecessor = Norman Whitten
| successor = Frank Joseph Harris
| profession = Movie theater owner
| children = 4 (including John H. Harris)
| alma_mater =
}}
John Paul Harris (December 4, 1871 – January 26, 1926) was a Pittsburgh businessman and politician who opened the world's first theater devoted entirely to showing Motion pictures.{{cite news |title=Testament of Citizenship |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tyQbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iUsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6487,1933520 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=August 31, 1934 |accessdate=2010-11-06 }}
Business career
Harris was born on December 4, 1871, to John and Bridget (Gaughan) Harris. Harris' father was a vaudeville producer and Harris' work in the entertainment industry began with his father's company, Harris Comedy and Specialty Co. In 1897 Harris Comedy and Specialty Co. showed Pittsburgh's first motion picture. On June 19, 1905, Harris and his brother-in-law, Harry Davis opened a small film theater on a Smithfield Street storefront in Downtown Pittsburgh. The theater, known as the Nickelodeon, was the first devoted exclusively for the exhibition of movies.{{cite news |author= Timothy McNulty |title=You saw it here first: Pittsburgh's Nickelodeon introduced the moving picture theater to the masses in 1905 |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05170/522854-254.stm |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=June 19, 2005 |accessdate=2010-11-06 }} The Harris-Davis company owned theaters in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and New York.
In addition to owning theaters, Harris held shares in two National League baseball clubs. From November 15, 1910, to December 17, 1910, Harris served as the principal owner of the Boston Doves.{{cite news |title=A New Owner For Boston Doves |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZxtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oUsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4530,2578849 |work=Portsmouth Daily Times |date=November 15, 1910 |accessdate=2010-11-06 }} Following his sale of the Boston club, Harris purchased interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates.{{cite news |title=Boston Nationals Sold |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=79s-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=QloMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2680,5975247 |work=Boston Evening Transcript |date=December 17, 1910 |accessdate=2010-11-06 }}
Politics
In 1922, Harris was elected to represent the 45th District in the Pennsylvania State Senate to fill the unexpired term caused by the death of Norman Whitten.{{cite web |title=John Paul Harris|url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=5595&body=S|work=Pennsylvania State Senate|accessdate=22 February 2021}}{{cite news |title=Burgess Indorses Senator Harris |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ix8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2UkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3477,2603707 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=March 26, 1924 |accessdate=2010-11-06 }} In 1924, Harris was elected to a full four-year term. In 1925, Harris became a support of Governor Gifford Pinchot. Although the two had many differing views, Harris supported Pinchot's efforts to enforce prohibition and enact election reform. On January 26, 1926, Harris suffered a heart attack during a legislative hearing on election reform bills. He died soon thereafter.{{cite news |title=Senator Drops Dead in Committee Room |work=The New York Times |date=January 27, 1926}} He was succeeded in the Senate by his brother Frank Joseph Harris.
Legacy
The Harris Theater in Pittsburgh is named in honor of Harris.{{cite web|url=http://www.pgharts.org/venues/harris.aspx |title=The Harris Theater |accessdate=2010-11-06 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120224215/http://www.pgharts.org/venues/harris.aspx |archive-date=2010-11-20 }}
The John P. Harris Film Society, Point Park University's cinema club, is named after Harris.{{cite web|title=JOHN P. HARRIS SOCIETY|url=http://www.pointpark.edu/StudentLife/StudentActivities/StudentOrganizations/InterestBased/JohnPHarrisSociety|work=Point Park University|publisher=Point Park University|accessdate=January 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929084338/https://www.pointpark.edu/StudentLife/StudentActivities/StudentOrganizations/InterestBased/JohnPHarrisSociety|archive-date=29 September 2012}}
{{Portal|Film|Baseball}}
References
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{{Atlanta Braves owners}}
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Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople
Category:Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators
Category:Businesspeople from Pittsburgh
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
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