James T. Harris III is the ninth President of Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.[1] Previously, he was President of Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, for eight years, where he was named one of the top 50 character-building presidents in the United States by the John Templeton Foundation.[2] Harris was also Vice President at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. Harris started his career teaching social science at the Toledo Central Catholic High School.
Harris received his D.Ed. from Pennsylvania State University in 1988 and was recognized in 2003 through receipt of an Alumni Fellow Award.[3][4] He has also received degrees from Edinboro University and the University of Toledo.[5]
Harris is nationally recognized for his work in civic engagement. He serves on the board of the National Campus Compact, the NCAA Division III President's Council and the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. He is married to the former Mary Catherine Kurdila and they have two sons; Zachary and Braden. His niece and goddaughter, Sarah Kurdila, is currently attending The College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio. James also has been listed among the most highly compensated of university administrators in the Philadelphia region, appearing ninth in a 2005–2006 list of private university presidents.[6]