Text: Elizabeth Harrison Binford, “One of Poe's Biographers,” The Kit-Kat (Columbus, OH), vol. V, no. 2, June 1916, pp. 61-64

[page 61:]

JAMES ALBERT HARRISON, editor and biographer of the Virginia edition of Poe, and late professor of Romance languages in the University of Virginia, was born at Pass Christian, Mississippi, his parents’ summer home, August 21, 1848. He was the ninth son of Jilson Payne Harrison and Sidney Norton, of New Orleans, and received his early education from private tutors. In his thirteen year, the war between the states being in progress and New Orleans being about to fall into the hands of the “Yankees,” his parents and their children, too young to be in the Confederate army, together with numerous relatives, friends and house servants, ran away — refugeeing far down in Georgia, where even General Sherman could not find them.

In this colony of refugees, was Mr. Richard Allen with his family from Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Allen was the father of James Lane Allen, afterwards to become the famous novelist. The two boys, James Lane Allen and James Albert Harrison, lived under the same roof, playing together [page 62:] and dreaming dreams — day dreams. As the great Poe says, “They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. In their gray visions, they obtain glimpses of eternity, and thrill, in waking, to find they have been upon the verge of the Great Secret.” A friendship was begun between these two lads, of whom later the South was to become so proud, which was only severed by death. They were kinfolks in a certain sense, as James Albert Harrison's oldest brother, John, had married James Lane Allen's oldest sister, Sarah.

Professor Harrison was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1866, and went immediately to Germany, where he studied at Bonn. Returning to New Orleans in 1871, he was called to the chair of Latin and Modern Languages at Randolph-Macon College, Virginia; there he remained until 1876, when he was offered the chair of English and Modern Languages at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia.

In 1883 he married Miss Elizabeth Letcher, of Lexington, Virginia, daughter of Virginia's famous war governor, John Letcher. The same year he delivered ten lectures on Anglo-Saxon Poetry, at Johns Hopkins University. He received the degree of Doctor of Letters at the Columbia University Centennial Anniversary, in 1887. He was chairman of the editorial committee of the Modern Language Association, a member of the American Philological Association and the originator and the editor of the “Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry.”

In 1896 he was called to the chair of Romance Languages, at the University of Virginia; there he abode until 1911, when he was called by the Great Educator, to broader and fuller fields of service. [page 63:] His widow and only child, John Letcher Harrison, still make their home in Charlottesville, within sight of the great southern institution of learning. Professor Harrison was much loved by the students and he and his gracious wife gave a glimpse of home life to many a lonely Southern boy, attending the university.

Professor Harrison's publications include, “Greek Vignettes, “ ”Spain in Profile,” “History of Spain,” “Beowulf, “ in collaboration with Professor James Sharp, now president of Tulane University, New Orleans; “The Story of Greece,” “A Handy Dictionary of Anglo- Saxon,” “A French Syntax,” (both of the last two named being text books used at Oxford, England), “The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe,” “The Life of Washington.” He was also one of the editors of the Century Dictionary.

“The crowning glory of his life,” to quote his own words to a favorite niece, came to him when he was asked by the faculty of the University of Virginia, to write the biography, and to edit the Virginia Edition, of Poe. While this literary effort was being made ready the university was fitting up the room once occupied by Edgar Allan Poe, to be known afterwards to the world as the “Poe Room.” In this room are pictures of the great poet, busts of the same, manuscripts of Poe, autograph letters of his and of many famous people concerning him. Above the door of this room rests the figure of a raven and the inscription on the door bears this legend, “The little home of a great poet.”

The opening of the Poe room was made a memorable occasion; and was simultaneous with the publication of the Virginia Edition of Poe. Wise men and scholars came to Charlottesville, not only from [page 64:] the East, but from all over the world. Mr. Hamilton Wright Mabie delivered a most eloquent address, “Poe's Place in American Literature.” The room was unveiled by Letcher Harrison, in compliment to his author father.

A few weeks after these ceremonies, Professor Harrison was invited to his dear old home city, New Orleans, where Doctor Alderman, then president of Tulane University, now president of the University of Virginia, conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Notwithstanding Professor Harrison's arduous duties as teacher and writer, he found time for the human side of life. His humour was delightful; his kindness to the young people of his beloved southland in general, and to his large circle of young kinsmen and women in particular, was inexhaustible. He could reprove one both keenly and kindly. On one occasion he wrote to a favorite niece in New Orleans (the niece having her mind wholly upon good times instead of lessons): “Dear E——, I see from the society notes of the New Orleans Times-Democrat that you danced the German, at the large ball given by Mrs. So-and-So. It seems too bad that you are getting your German in the wrong end of you — to-wit, your heels, instead of your head.”

Long years afterward, came a letter addressed to his two small grand-nephews, Harrison and Joseph B., sons of the niece E., who “got her German in the wrong end,” enclosing a check for two dollars and fifty cents to each small boy and saying, “ Your Uncle Jim sends you this money because you have such a smart mama” — the said “mama” having just published her first article in the Ladies’ Home Journal.