Larry Harris was an outstanding athlete in the 60’s. He earned 9 varsity letters, 4 in football, 3 in basketball, 1 in baseball and 1 in track. He was a fierce competitor for Coach Dick Landis’ football team. With a good ground game from the Frederick brothers and Mike Cutshaw, the team did not pass very often. Larry still finished fourth out of ten city league teams in passing yards his senior year. He was named to the All-City second team at quarterback and defensive halfback. One very funny story is derived from Larry’s football career. After one particularly hard hit to the head, Larry was dazed to the point that he went to the opposition’s bench and sat down. Coaches had to cross the field to retrieve him.
Larry was a starting guard his junior and senior years on the Tiger basketball team. The 1964-1965 team was the best of the 60’s decade, finishing third in the city league. They beat Belmont which was the defending state champion. He was teamed with 3 other Hall-of-Fame inductees – Bill Frederick, Steve Frederick and Jerry Kennard which means that he didn’t take many shots from the field. Most of his 10 points per game were scored on foul shots. He was named to the All- City Honorable Mention team. Larry and Steve Frederick were co-captains of the football and basketball teams their senior year.
Larry was a defensive specialist in basketball. He routinely was charged with guarding the opposition’s leading scorer even though he was usually smaller. He was known to have the sharpest elbows on the team and apparently would confuse the basketball court with the gridiron as a cross body block was not uncommon. He invented hand checking and excelled in trash talking before its ever being used in the college and pro ranks. After high school Larry played one year each at defensive halfback for Central State and Memphis State.
Larry was the founder of Harco Industries, a multi million dollar producer of car parts. At one time his company was making all brake hoses for General Motors. He was the former owner of Meadowbrook Country Club which he recently donated to the city of Clayton.
Larry and his wife of 45 years, Tina, have a son, a daughter, and 4 grandchildren.