Graduation story

82-year-old man, WWII veteran, to graduate from USC

By Peggy Binette, Special to TIMES

William Daily Harris of Lamar is busy studying for his final exam and preparing for May graduation like other seniors at USC. But Harris isn’t like other seniors graduating May 8.

He has fought in war. He has been a mayor and a county council member. He has raised a family. He is 82 years old.

On May 8, just four days after his 82nd birthday, the octogenarian will walk across the stage at USC’s commencement and finish what he began in 1939—earning a degree from the college he has loved since he was 7.

"It was always my biggest regret that I didn’t go back to school and get my degree," said Harris who took two courses to complete his degree.

When Harris, a 21-year old geology major, returned to campus for spring classes in January 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was meeting with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Casablanca to issue an unconditional surrender demand. By February 2, the war in Europe had reached its turning point. By June 11, Harris had finished the semester, and the Nazis had ordered destruction of Polish Ghettos.

Harris entered the U.S. Army Reserved Corps that month. An amateur photographer at the time, he was given a commission to attend photo school at Yale University. He graduated on January 6, 1944, as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a photo officer at MacDill Field in Tampa, Fla., until December when he was given a new assignment: a photo and reproduction officer for the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey (USSBS) in Europe.

Until August 1945, Harris captured the harsh realities of war in Europe and the Pacific. His photos documented physical damage and helped determine U.S. bombing efforts. Among his tasks in the Pacific was photographing the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

In December 1945, Harris returned home and married Elizabeth "Betty" Steuart. He was released as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He continued his military service with the U.S. Air Force Reserve for the next 25 years and retired in 1971 as a lieutenant colonel.

With family in Lamar, Harris joined his father in business at McSween Mercantile Company in November 1946. Committed to his family and the community where he grew up, Harris decided to pursue public office. He served on Lamar’s town council and was mayor in 1952 at age 30.

As mayor, he made life in Lamar better. He improved the town’s water supply by getting a new automatic water system and adding water lines, added better lighting on Main Street, added miles of paved streets, organized the town’s financial records for the first time, brought the town’s credit rating to a sound level, made the police department more efficient, and added a fire truck—all with out having to raise taxes or borrow money.

He brought the once ghost town of Lamar back to life, but that wasn’t enough for him.

He knew he could do more.

After serving as mayor for one year, Harris was elected to the Darlington County Commission (Darlington County Council) in 1960, a post he held for more than 20 years. He is the only living member of that original commission.

He retired from Odell Hardware in 1987 at 65, and moved to North Myrtle Beach.

Through it all—raising two children, serving his community and working—Harris has continued his photography. After retiring, he became a part-time photographer for several different newspapers, including The North Myrtle Beach Times, where he still works.

A long-time USC football fan, Harris takes photos of USC football games and players, a hobby he began when Jim Carlin was coach. For years, Harris shot several rolls of film at every game, most of which he would develop and give away to the players, most of whom were not star athletes who garnered media attention.

Harris only missed three South Carolina- Clemson football games in 75 years: once while he was in the service, once when he was sick, and in 2003 when his "seats were up too high," he said.

Harris isn’t the only one in his family with a Carolina connection. His two sisters, Rachel and Katherine, graduated from USC, as did his daughter, Margaret Cox. Her daughter, Maxie, attended, and his son William Daily "Bucky" Harris Jr’s daughter, Jennifer Harris, is a junior.

"It feels real nice to go to college with Jennifer. She is smart as a whip and has scholarships," said Harris. "My wife and children were very supportive of my decision to return to school and always encouraged me to return."

Harris said for years he put off returning to college because he knew a great deal had changed in course requirements since 1943. He thought he might have to learn Spanish or take trigonometry to earn his diploma. Fortunately, he had to take only two subjects, a photography course at Coastal Carolina and a correspondence course in history at USC to graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Harris says going back to the college grind hasn’t been difficult, although he admits his memory isn’t quite as sharp as it was when he was 21.

"I’ve gotten a lot out of the experience. I really enjoyed being around those young people in my photography course," said Harris, who looks forward to walking across the stage to shake the hand of USC President Andrew Sorensen.

As one might suspect, Harris and his family will have a big graduation celebration.

"We’ve got a graduation party on May 9. Betty (his wife) has sent out about 200 invitations to the party at the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce," Harris said.

What’s next for Harris?

Unlike his USC classmates who will join the workforce full-time after graduating, Harris plans to retire in October. He says he is ready for a break.

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