James T. Harris III: Difference between revisions

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}}</ref> Harris was also Vice President at [[Wright State University]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and the [[College of Mount St. Joseph]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]. Harris started his career teaching social science at [[Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio)|Central Catholic High School]] in [[Toledo, Ohio]].

}}</ref> Harris was also Vice President at [[Wright State University]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and the [[College of Mount St. Joseph]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]. Harris started his career teaching social science at [[Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio)|Central Catholic High School]] in [[Toledo, Ohio]].

[[Widener University]] granted Harris the title of president [[emeritus]] in 2015 and named its its newest residence hall Harris Hall in his honor<ref>{{cite web

[[Widener University]] granted Harris the title of president [[emeritus]] in 2015 and named its newest residence hall Harris Hall in his honor<ref>{{cite web

| url = https://www.delcotimes.com/2015/06/03/widener-to-honor-outgoing-president/

| url = https://www.delcotimes.com/2015/06/03/widener-to-honor-outgoing-president/

| title =Widener to honor outgoing president| access-date = 2025-11-20 | date = 2015-09-03

| title =Widener to honor outgoing president| access-date = 2025-11-20 | date = 2015-09-03

James T. Harris III is the fourth and current president of the University of San Diego (USD).[1] Previously, he served as president of Widener University (2002-2015) and Defiance College (1994-2002), where he was named one of the top 50 character-building presidents in the United States by the John Templeton Foundation. Harris was named the top sitting college president in 2024[2] based on a study by the American Enterprise Institute.

While Harris served at Defiance, the College received the largest gift in its history when the McMaster family gave Defiance $6 million to establish the McMaster School for the Advancement of Humanity. The College also achieved national recognition from U.S. News as one of the nation’s top 25 service-learning schools during Harris’ tenure.[3] Harris was also Vice President at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. Harris started his career teaching social science at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio.

Widener University granted Harris the title of president emeritus in 2015 and named its newest residence hall Harris Hall in his honor[4].

During Harris’ time as president, USD has been recognized as one of the top schools nationally for being a “best run college” and having the “best quality of life” by the Princeton Review, a top five program nationally for promoting public service by Washington Monthly, and has received additional recognition for its sustainability efforts and work to enhance diversity and inclusion. In 2024, USD received the largest gift in its history to support advancements in STEM education and research[5].

Harris, a first-generation college student, received his D.Ed. from Pennsylvania State University in 1988.[6] In 2003 he was named an alumni fellow by the alumni association and in 2013 a distinguished alumni by the university’s board of trustees, the highest honor given a graduate of Penn State..[7] He has also received degrees from Edinboro University and the University of Toledo. Both Edinboro and Toledo have named him a distinguished alumni.[8]

Harris is nationally recognized for his work in civic engagement. In 2011 he was awarded the Chief Executive leadership award by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for District II, and received the award again in 2025 for District VII.[9] He has been elected to serve on multiple national and state boards holding many leadership positions including serving as chair of the Board of Directors for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education[10], and American Council on Education Commission on the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity (2006-2009). Examples of leadership roles he held earlier in his career include being elected as the Chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, Chair of Pennsylvania Campus Compact and Vice Chair of the national Campus Compact Board.

Harris served as Vice Chair of the NCAA Division I President’s Council, and the Chair of the NCAA Division III President’s Council earlier in his career.

Harris served as a member of the MDP faculty at Harvard University from 2001-2019. He is the author of multiple scholarly articles on higher education[11] and in 2013 he co-authored a book on Academic Leadership and Governance, with a second edition in 2022.[12]

Harris has written a number of opinion pieces and guest essays. In 2023 he authored a piece about serving as a university president in Inside Higher Ed where he discussed his regular walks with students and USD community members.[13] He authored an opinion piece in The New York Times in 2025 entitled “Big Football is ruining College Sports,” where he argues that the Power Four schools should go their own way to give other sports a chance to shine.[14]

Harris has been married to Mary Catherine Harris (née Kurdila) for over forty years and they have two sons; Zachary and Braden. Harris is a Catholic.[15]

2022

  • James T. Harris, Jason E. Lane, Jeffrey C. Sun, Gail F. Baker (2022). Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education (2 ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-64267-409-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

2005

2003

2002

  1. ^ “James Thomas Harris III, D.Ed. President”. University of San Diego. 2004-09-02. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  2. ^ “James Harris, USD, Voted No. 1 Nationally for Best University President”. Times of San Diego. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  3. ^ “About the President”. Administration web site. Widener University. August 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  4. ^ “Widener to honor outgoing president”. Daily Times. 2015-09-03. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
  5. ^ “USD set to receive record-breaking $75 million donation”. City News Service. 2024-11-17. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  6. ^ Warth, Gary (13 February 2015). “USD Names New President”. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  7. ^ Jeff Deitrich (November 2003). “A Life of Service Through Leadership: Alumni Fellow James T. Harris III”. Connections (Feature Story). Penn State College of Education. Archived from the original on 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  8. ^ “Widener University: About the President (Google cache)”. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  9. ^ “The Chief Executive Leadership Award”. Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  10. ^ “James T. Harris III Award”. Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  11. ^ Boccella, Kathy (2007-11-12). “College presidents work in halls of higher earning”. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B3. [failed verification]
  12. ^ James T. Harris, Jason E. Lane, Jeffrey C. Sun, Gail F. Baker (2022). Academic Leadership and Governance of Higher Education (2 ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-64267-409-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ <“A Walk in the Canyon”. Inside Higher Ed. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  14. ^ “Opinion: Big Football Is Ruining College Sports”. The New York Times. 2025-10-11. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  15. ^ Warth, Gary (17 August 2015). “New USD President Settles In”. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

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