A Guide to the August Watkins Harris Papers, 1959

Biographical Note

Born in Austin, Texas, August Watkins Harris, Sr. (1893-1968), attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he founded the Theta XI fraternity. An architect and artist by profession, Harris worked with Bertram Giesecke (1892-1950) in an architectural firm in Austin. He and Giesecke designed several building in Austin, including Stephen F. Austin High School, the Norwood Tower, and St. Mary’s Cathedral. In addition, Harris wrote on the subject of architectural history, such as Minor and Major Mansions in early Austin (1955). Harris served in both World War I and World War II and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army. In 1922, he married Loula Harris, with whom he had four children, including August Watkins Harris, Jr. (1925-2010), also an Austin architect.

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Scope and Contents

Consisting of a watercolor painting and two copies of architectural drawings, the August Watkins Harris Papers, 1959, document Harris’s career as an architect and artist in Austin, Texas. The watercolor and architectural drawings depict the Cass Gilbert Library (now Battle Hall) at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

August Watkins Harris Papers, 1959, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.

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Detailed Description of the Papers

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