Marvin Harris has been a primary contributor of information about the Harris family.
1026Marvin decided to become a minister while 16 years of age in the FBC of Troup, Texas. After graduating from Troup High School in 1948, he trained for this profession at Tyler Junior College (1948-1950), Baylor University (B.A. in religion and English, 1952) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (B.D. in 1957). Feeling he needed more biblical studies, he returned to Baylor University and eventually earned the M.A. degree in religion (1963). After a career change from ministry to academia, he earned another M.A., in English (1969), and a Ph.D. in English Education (1952) from the University of Texas at Austin.
His bivocational ministerial service included serving as pastor of a Baptist mission in Geneva, Ohio; pastor of a rural church at BellFalls (TX) while teaching English at Lamar Junior High School in Temple, Texas; pastor of Academy Baptist Church near Temple, TX, while teaching at Lamar JHS; several interim pastorates while teaching at ETBU; and supply preaching while teaching at ETBU. He served as a deacon and director of the Fourth Grade Sunday School Department at the First Baptist Church of Marshall for many years after leaving active bivocational ministry.
After nine year of teaching English in the public schools, he joined the faculty at East Texas Baptist University in 1965, where he remained until his retirement in May 1997, exclusive of two years (1967-1969) while pursuing the doctorate at UT-Austin. He served as Chair of the English Department at ETBU from 1972 to 1998. Upon his retirement in May 1998, ETBU conferred upon him the title "Professor Emeritus," the first in the university's history.
In additon to his teaching and administrative duties, Marvin involved himself heavily in English professional organizations and publishing. In addition to presenting at professional meetings, he was the Executive Secretary of the Texas Joint Council of Teachers of English (later Texas Council of Teachers of English) for two three-year terms, 1982-1988. This organization consisted of teachers of English and Language Arts from kindergarten through the university level. From 1995-1998 he was the Executive Secretary of the Confernce of College Teachers of English (Texas statewide organization). Three times he was elected the president of the American Studies Association of Texas, the last term 1998-1999.
Marvin was the editor of the Journal of the American Studies Assocation of Texas for ten years and served as book review editor for that journal from 1990-2000. He is the author of a number of articles and book reviews in various professional journals.