Bill Harris

William White Harris, Jr. (October 26, 1897 – March 7, 1961) was a Hawaiian born American competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, and received a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle.

Bill W. Harris Jr. was born on October 26, 1897 to William White Harris, Sr., and Evelyn Pearl Dexter on October 26, 1897 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Harris's father William, born in Indianapolis, worked throughout Asia, and eventually moved to Manila in the Philippines for a job in mining.

At 21, Harris returned to Hawaii in December 1918, and began focused swim training with Hawaiian-born George "Dad" David Center at Honolulu's Outrigger Canoe Club. A somewhat demanding swim coach, Center was an outstanding fundraiser and meet organizer. Center also coached surfing, paddling, volleyball, and track, and mentored a number of outstanding swimmers, including Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Duke Kohanamoku.

Swimming for the Outrigger Club of Honolulu at the AAU Centennial Oahu Water Meet in Honolulu on April 17, 1920, Harris defeated future 100-yard world record holder Duke Kahanamoku and talented freestyler Harold Kruger in the 220-yard event. He completed the swim in a time of 2:30.2. Demonstrating he could compete against champions, Harris passed Kahanamoku only a few yards from the finish.

1920 Olympic bronze Olympic trials

Hawaiians who qualified for the 1920 Olympic try-outs shown left to right: Ludy Langer, Helen Moses, Duke Kahanamoku, Dad Center, Warren Kealoha, Pua Kealoha, and Bill Harris.

At the first round of the 1920 Olympic trials on June 27, 1920 at Neptune Beach in San Francisco, Harris placed third in the 100-meter freestyle final behind first place Duke Kahanamoku, who set a new world record of 1:00.2. Harris also swam with the winning Hawaiian Association 4x200-yard relay team led by Duke Kahanamoku, setting a new record time of 9:00.2. Harris's performance qualified him to the next stage of the trials in Chicago.

Harris and the Hawaii swimmers moved to the last Olympic trial round of competition in Chicago. All the male Hawaiian male swimmers qualified for the 1920 U.S. Men’s Olympic Swimming team. Performing well, Harris received the bronze medal for his third-place finish in 1:03.0, a second faster than he swam in the first final and less than two seconds behind the first place finisher Kahanamoku. At the Antwerp Olympics, Harris was coached by Assistant Olympic swim coach George Center, who had coached him at the Outrigger Canoe Club. The race was won by American Norman Ross, who would later become known as a sports announcer.

At the Antwerp Olympics that summer, the swimmers from the Hawaiian team, swept the first three places in the 100-meter freestyle. As noted, Duke Kahanamoku set a world record of 1:00.4 with teammates Pua Kealoha and Harris not far behind. In the 100-meter backstroke, Hawaiian Warren Kealoha captured gold, and another Hawaiian, Harold Kruger, finished fifth.

Life after the 1920 Olympics After swimming a meet in Australia in 1922, he married his first wife Australian Ada Margaret Harrison in Sydney, Australia in 1923, and shortly after returned to Manila. There the couple had their daughter Shirley Mae. After divorcing his first wife, and marrying his second wife Janet Agnes Foran on February 10, 1932 in Manila, Harris returned to Hawaii with Janet and their daughter Louis Lane Harris in the 1940's after WWII, and remained there.

On his return to Hawaii, Harris was a Sales Manager for the Pressed Steel Car Company in Honolulu in the 1950's and was office manager for U.S. Industries, after it changed its name from the Pressed Steel Car Company in 1954. His wife Janet of twenty-nine years predeceased him in May, 1960 when she was struck at a pedestrian crossing. Harris had a daughter from each marriage.

Honors Bill was inducted into the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002, and was also made a life member of the Outrigger Canoe Club.