# Claude Harris Jr.

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**Claude Harris Jr.** (June 29, 1940 – October 2, 1994) was an American politician and attorney.

A [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) from [Alabama](/source/Alabama), he served in the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from 1987 until 1993. He was succeeded in the House by [Earl F. Hilliard](/source/Earl_F._Hilliard).[1]

## Biography

Born in [Bessemer, Alabama](/source/Bessemer,_Alabama), Harris earned his B.S. at the [University of Alabama](/source/University_of_Alabama) in 1962, graduated from [University of Alabama Law School](/source/University_of_Alabama_Law_School) in 1965 and served in the [Alabama Army National Guard](/source/Alabama_Army_National_Guard). He was an assistant district attorney in [Tuscaloosa County](/source/Tuscaloosa_County,_Alabama) until 1977 when he took seat as a [state circuit judge](/source/Alabama_Circuit_Courts). He stepped down from the bench in 1985 to run for Congress to succeed [Richard Shelby](/source/Richard_Shelby), who ran for the [United States Senate](/source/United_States_Senate). Harris was elected three times in 1986, 1988, and 1990. He declined to run for reelection in 1992 after the legislature [reconfigured](/source/Congressional_redistricting) his district into a [majority-minority district](/source/Majority-minority_district) in compliance with provisions in the [Voting Rights Act](/source/Voting_Rights_Act), having little chance of being elected in the new district.

Harris voted for the [Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987](/source/Abandoned_Shipwrecks_Act).[2] The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing [treasure hunters](/source/Treasure_hunting) and salvagers from damaging them. President [Ronald Reagan](/source/Ronald_Reagan) signed it into law on April 28, 1988.[3]

After leaving [Congress](/source/United_States_Congress), Harris was appointed [United States Attorney](/source/United_States_Attorney) for the [Northern District of Alabama](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Northern_District_of_Alabama) under the new [Clinton administration](/source/Bill_Clinton) in 1993. Harris died of [lung cancer](/source/Lung_cancer) on October 2, 1994, in [Birmingham, Alabama](/source/Birmingham,_Alabama).[4]

He was married to Barbara Harris; they had two sons.

## References

1. [Political profile](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/harris2.html)

1. ["TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS S 858, ABANDONED SHIPWRECK … -- House Vote #532 -- March 29, 1988"](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/100-1988/h532). *GovTrack.us*. Retrieved 2025-04-07.

1. ["Laws - Division of Historical Resources - Florida Department of State"](https://dos.fl.gov/historical/archaeology/underwater/laws/#:~:text=On%2028%20April%201988,%20President,authority%20over%20those%20abandoned%20shipwrecks.). *dos.fl.gov*. Retrieved 2025-04-07.

1. ["Claude Harris, 54, Ex-Congressman"](https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/03/obituaries/claude-harris-54-ex-congressman.html). *The New York Times*. 3 October 1994.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claude Harris Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Harris_Jr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Harris_Jr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.