Delton Harrison

Ollie Delton Harrison, Jr.​ (Louisiana philanthropist and patron of the arts)​
Born	May 22, 1931​​ Shreveport, Louisiana, USA​​
Died	​December 18, 2019 (aged 88)​
Spouse	​Never married Parents: Ollie Delton, Sr., and Jennie Moore Lane Harrison​ Surviving sister: Adelaide H. Smith Alma mater: Clifton Ellis Byrd High School ​ American University​​ Louisiana State University
Religion	Episcopalian

Ollie Delton Harrison, Jr., known as Delton Harrison (May 22, 1931 – December 18, 2019), was a businessman, philanthropist, and patron of the arts from his native Shreveport, Louisiana.

One of two children of Ollie Harrison, Sr., and the former Jennie Moore Lane, he was introduced to the love of travel, especially to New York City. He graduated c. 1948 from Clifton Ellis. Byrd High School in Shreveort and earned a degree in history from American University in Washington, D.C. After graduate studies at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, he returned to Shreveport to work in the family business, The Harrison Company.^[1]

Harrison sat on the boards of the Shreveport Little Theater, the Shreveport Symphony and the Shreveport Opera, for which he he was a large donor and sang in the chorus. He was patron of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and the downtown Robinson Film Center. He was a founder of the Shreveport Art Guild and Friends of the Meadows Museum;, and the Red River Revel Arts Festival. He was the lifetime chairman of the Shreveport branch of the English-Speaking Union, which under his leadership became the largest chapter in the United States. He also served on the advisory board of Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport and as chairman of the Christus Foundation Board. A member of the LSU-Shreveport Foundation, Harrison established the O. Delton Harrison, Jr. Endowed Professorship for the Master of Liberal Arts program. He served on the board of Centenary College in Shreveport, which named an honorary alumnus.^[1]

In 1997, he was named the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the North Louisiana chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives. In 2000, he was named the Louisiana "Patron of the Years" and was recognized as 'intrinsic to the arts in Shreveport." In 2013, he was selected as one of the five Louisiana Legends by the Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting.^[1] He was a member of the exclusive Shreveport Club and the Cotillion Club, for which he was Rex VI. In Dallas, Texas, he served on the boards of the Dallas Opera Association and the Dallas Grand Opera, positions which made it possible for him to meet opera greats, such as Beverly Sills and Placido Domingo. He further served on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera and the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. He also donated generously to the American Museum in Bath, England, and the Royal Academy in London.^[1]

Harrison died at the age of eighty-eight from a brief illness. Services were held at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, at which he was an usher. His burial location was not disclosed.^[2]

Roger Earl Mayence (born 1984), a Harrison employee, said that the philanthropist:

made a deep and resonating impact on anyone and everyone he came in contact with. For me, he was my boss, my mentor, one of my heroes, a role-model, but more importantly he was my friend. He has done so much for the city of Shreveport, as well as, the entire state of Louisiana. On the first day I began working for Mr. Harrison, I noticed that over in a corner of the office there were a countless number of plaques and awards recognizing/honoring him for all of his hard work and diligent efforts. … His genuine love and care for others has brought a bright light not only into our city and our state but also into our world. The warmth and glow of this light will never be extinguished. He will live on in each of our hearts and minds forever. He taught and showed each of us how we should treat, care, and love our fellow man. …^[3]

• Ruth Doreck, theater arts figure in Shreveport who died in 2020