History

Written By Geneva Aldridge Harris

Harrisonites, Incorporated is an African American alumni organization. The organization was founded by twenty-five supporters of Harrisonites Reunion '77. A group of graduates, attendees, and associated members from the "Little School on Elm Street", Richard Berry Harrison High School, the home of the Mighty, Mighty Dragons in Blytheville, Arkansas. It was established in 1977 to unite schoolmates near and far and to preserve the memories of the Historical Richard Berry Harrison High School. On November 9, 1978, the Harrisonites organization got its Incorporation. The Fifth National President Lucretia Horne-Mc Donald was the filing agent at the request of the First National President Gene Henton. Harrisonites, Incorporated is presently one of the largest African American alumni organizations in the state of Arkansas with a directory of over 1,300 eligible members. The name Harrisonites derived from the name of the Richard Berry Harrison High School. The name was taken from an African American actor Richard Berry Harrison. This group was organized to connect with schoolmates the first weekend in August every three years. Blytheville, Arkansas serves as the headquarters for the National Organization. The National Alumni Association currently has over three hundred financial members with local chapters in Blytheville, Arkansas, Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas, and the state of Michigan. The current National President and CEO is Geneva Aldridge-Harris.

At first membership was only offered to the members of the classes of 1935 through 1960. In 1978, Harrisonites Incorporated mobilization and develop infrastructure, expand membership, and implement programs. The first order of business was to determine eligibility for membership, elect officers, establish a constitution to govern the organization and expand membership to Classes of 1935 to 1970, which included the last graduating class. In the early years, the organization's main objective was to have a reunion. The years following inception they begin to develop uniformity in operation and communication with Harrisonites in the other forty-nine states of the United States of America. Their Mission and purposes were broadened to better meet the needs of its growing membership and the community.

The previous administrations wanted to reorganize the organization to address a variety of new concerns. Upon drafting the Constitution, they set out to achieve five purposes for the members. Those purposes are stated in the Constitution. They are: To hold Harrison reunion as the organization deems necessary; to promote the continuation of love and spiritual 

fellowship among Harrison students; to provide social and wholesome recreation for its members; to contribute to the improvement of the community and to promote cultural enrichment.

The twenty-five founders of Harrisonites, Incorporated are:  *Jimmie Wallace-Cage, *Robert Campbell, *Sellarstine McClair-Campbell, *Bernice M. Chew,*Juanita Jones-Davis, *Mamie Bowers-Davis, *Era Shipp-Floyd,  Faye Maxine Williams-Ford, * Walter Greene, *Gene Henton,*Dorothy Wilson-James, *Charles King, *Ollie Bush-Lofton, *Lucretia Horne-McDonald,  *Hurley Margerum, *Olivia Kimbrough-Riley, Charles Sanders, *Bobby Strickland, *Earlene McCoy-Strickland, *Mae Lee Greenberry-Stringer, *Jeff Walls, Russell Ware, Vivion Brown-Ware, *Lillie Johnson-Warren,  and *Zella White.

*Deceased

To make the organization perpetual, the membership voted in 2013, to grandfather classes 1971-1975 into the membership. These five classes made the organization inclusive of every student that ever-attended Richard Berry Harrison High School. One other notable change to the constitution in 2024, to preserve the organization was to change the criteria for the national president. The constitution stipulate that the president could only serve two consecutive biennials was amended to no term limit. There have been several revisions to the constitution but these two will maintain stainability for years to come.