William M. Harris, 90, started foundation

Dr. William M. Harris, a Roswell chiropractor and philanthropist, was a regular reader of the obituaries and often tore them out of the newspaper to show the administrator of his family foundation.

“He would tear them out, and I mean tear because I would often ask him, ‘Don’t you own a pair of scissors?’ He would bring them in and say, ‘That’s what I want,’ ” said the administrator, Jane Goodwin of Roswell.

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William M. Harris was a longtime chiropractor and had a family foundation.

About two years ago, she said, she wrote an obituary for him, which he approved, she said. That family-placed death notice, or paid obituary, runs in today’s newspaper. Obituaries were just one way Dr. Harris thought about his legacy. The family foundation he created and ran has given more than $11 million to chiropractic research and colleges and universities. Buildings at four educational institutions bear his name.

Leaving a mark “was always very important to him,” said his son, Tom Harris of Jasper.

Dr. Harris, 90, died Sunday at Freedom Pointe Assisted Living in Roswell from complications of a stroke. The body was cremated. A memorial service is planned for a later date at Life University in Marietta. Cremation Society of Georgia is in charge of arrangements.

Dr. Harris was born and reared on a 2,000-acre family cotton farm in Opelika, Ala. When he was a youngster, Dr. Harris believed his father had been cured of a serious illness by a chiropractor, and he had a “vision” that he should become a chiropractor, too, said his son.

In high school, he wrote a theme paper on wanting to be a chiropractor. His English teacher encouraged him to pursue it, according to an article on the Web site of Northwestern Health Sciences University, where he was a benefactor. For more than 75 years, Dr. Harris sent that teacher a Christmas card with a $100 bill enclosed, according to the article.

After finishing high school, Dr. Harris went to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. But it was the early days of the Great Depression, and Dr. Harris’ father died. He returned home to help run the farm, which remains in the family today.

Dr. Harris’ family eventually scraped together enough money for him to finish his degree. After practicing for a time in Springfield, Mo., Dr. Harris and his wife, the late Jo Harris, moved to Georgia. He practiced for many years in Albany, where he also had a radio show about the benefits of chiropractic medicine.

He began lecturing at colleges and seminars, and in the 1970s he started giving business management seminars for other chiropractors. That business, Practice Consultants Inc., is where Dr. Harris made his fortune, said his son.

“In the 1990s, he was knocking down $1 million-plus a year,” said the younger Harris.

Much of the money went into Dr. Harris’ foundation, which began in 1978 as the Foundation for the Advancement of Chiropractic Education. It later changed its name to the William H. Harris Family Foundation to reflect Dr. Harris’ interest in donating to a broader range of causes, said Ms. Goodwin.

Among his awards, Dr. Harris was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Georgia Chiropractic Association in 1987 and 1995.

Additional survivors include a daughter, Beverly Logan of Lakemont; and two grandchildren.