Dr. Walter Harris, Jr., 73, passed away on November 21, 2020. He was identified as a gifted musician at a young age. He was encouraged by his parents to hone his skills by participating in the choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama. Walter earned his master's and doctoral degrees in music at Michigan State University. While there, he became a classically trained piano accompanist, vocalist, and performer. His talents as a musician and performer were significant. He performed throughout the country with his college, civic, and other choirs and performed internationally with a number of choral ensembles. Walter performed bass baritone operatic roles in various works, including Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni, and frequently in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. He was a prolific piano accompanist, having accompanied hundreds of professional and amateur singers and instrumentalists in solo performances.



Walter began his career in higher education administration at his undergraduate alma mater, Knoxville College, in Tennessee in 1969, where he spent 11 years in a variety of positions including Chair of the Department of Arts and Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Director of the Division of Arts and Humanities.

Walter spent the next 20 years (1980-2000) at ASU where he held various teaching and administrative positions. As a professor, Walter taught in the area of music history with a particular interest in the music of African Americans and its relationship to the music of Africa. He carried out field research in the countries of West Africa, including Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, and Senegal. As an administrator at ASU, he served as Assistant Dean, Acting Dean, and Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts. He was later named Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and eventually Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, a position he held for eight years. Throughout this time, his commitment allowed him to mentor hundreds of students and faculty. In 2014 Dave Scheatzle conducted a Video History Interview with Walter. A clip may be seen at  ASURA Video History Interview .



Walter then served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of Music at North Carolina Central University. In 2002, he was appointed Senior Executive Fellow at the University of North Carolina (UNC) System Office in Chapel Hill where he worked with the Office of Public Affairs and University Advancement on state and federal issues pertinent to higher education. Lastly, from 2003 until his retirement in 2018, Walter served Loyola University New Orleans first as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and later as a Distinguished Professor of Music. Walter helped lead the university out of the challenging season following Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures of New Orleans in 2005. He led the university through that difficult chapter with faith, perseverance, and expertise. Walter was deeply respected and was known for his steady demeanor, his wisdom and leadership experience, his faithful churchmanship, and his warm and welcoming spirit.

In addition to his dedication to higher education, Walter contributed to every community he lived in with active civic engagement. Over the years, he has served on a number of national, regional, and local arts, education, and civic committees, boards commissions, and accrediting bodies including premier organizations such as: Alpha Alpha Boulé New Orleans, a subordinate of the Grand Boulé Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; American Bar Association; American Choral Directors Association; International Congress of Voice Teachers; Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem Grand Priory of America; National Associate of Teachers of Singing; National Public Radio affiliate KJZZ; National Public Radio affiliate WWNO; New Orleans Youth Orchestra; Outstanding Educators of America; Presbyterian Association of Musicians; Phoenix Boys Choir; Phoenix Symphony Orchestra; St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church; and, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Walter is preceded in death by two sisters and a brother. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Henrietta Augustus Harris, two daughters, three grandchildren, four sisters and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. In 2018, as a retirement gift for her husband, Dr. Henrietta Augustus Harris established the Dr. Walter Harris, Jr. Endowed Scholarship at Loyola University New Orleans in honor of her husband's dedication to Loyola, its students, and the pursuit of higher education. The scholarship was created especially for talented minority students enrolled in Loyola's College of Music with financial need. In lieu of flowers, to celebrate Walter's life and his dedication to helping others, the family requests gifts to the Dr. Walter Harris, Jr. Endowed Scholarship or via mail to The Dr. Walter Harris Scholarship, Loyola University New Orleans, 7214 St. Charles Avenue, Box 909, New Orleans, LA, 70118. The family also requests your participation in learning preventative measures for cardiovascular disease, which claims one in four lives, by visiting The Legacy We Lead .

Walter's remains will be inurned in the columbarium at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans. A private memorial service will be held at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church on January 27, 2021, at 2 p.m., on what would have been Walter's 74th birthday. In order to follow COVID-19 guidelines, the number of attendees in the church will be limited but the service will be live-streamed. More information can be found and condolences can be sent through Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Homes and Cemeteries (Source: Arizona Republic)