User:Hppalm/Harris Kempner

Harris Leon Kempner (1903-1987) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Texas.

Early life and education
Kempner was born to Isaac Herbert Kempner and Henrietta Blum Kempner in Galveston, Texas on October 3, 1903. After attending public schools in Galveston, he completed his secondary education at the Morristown School in Morristown, New Jersey in 1920. Kempner then graduated cum laude from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He completed postgraduate studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.

Cotton industry leadership
Kempner served as president of H. Kempner Cotton Co., the corporation established by his grandfather Harris. Kempner also held multiple leadership roles in the state and national cotton industry. He served as president, vice president, and director of the American Cotton Shippers Association. Kempner also served as director of the Texas Cotton Exchange, the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, and the Galveston Cotton Exchange.

Military service
In 1942, Kempner moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the U.S. Navy. He served in the office of the Undersecretary of the Navy for three years. During this period, Kempner rose in rank from lieutenant to commander, and the Navy awarded him the Legion of Merit.

Family
Kempner married Ruth Levy Kempner on April 24, 1939 a few months after they dated during Mardi Gras. After Galveston elected Ruth Kempner to City Council in 1961, she became the first woman to serve on a governing body of the city. Kempner also served as president of the Family Services Council in Galveston and as a member of the Texas Judicial Council. In 1947, she chaired the Disaster Relief Committee of the American Red Cross during the Texas City Disaster, the largest industrial disaster in American history.