The Ann Eliza Allison Harris Endowed Scholarship has been established through the Northwest Mississippi Community College Foundation by Mrs. Harris’ granddaughter and her husband, Dr. and Mrs. Robert I Bourne Jr. of Camden, Tenn.

The Bournes were on campus in September to attend the Northwest Foundation Scholarship Reception which honored Mrs. Bourne’s grandfather, Sheriff William P Harris. He was honored, along with seven other DeSoto County law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.

The DeSoto County Public Safety Memorial Committee, under the leadership of Hugh Basinger of Olive Branch and Lt. Jerald Wheeler of the Southaven Police Department, established scholarships in memory of the eight fallen officers.

“My grandfather was killed in 1912 at the age of 47. My grandmother, Ann Eliza Allison Harris, who was expecting a child at the time of his death, was left to raise nine children. I wanted to honor her since she so valiantly carried on after his death,” said Bourne.

The Harrises were parents of four sons, one who died early on, six daughters, and had 13 grandchildlren.

According to Bourne, her grandmother was a homemaker while her husband was sheriff and had a bridge building business in DeSoto County. Following his death, she left DeSoto County in 1927 to live with a daughter in Memphis. “She (Ann Eliza Harris) died at the age of 80 in 1954, not long after my graduation from Rhodes College,” recalls Bourne. “Those are the last pictures I have of her.”

According to Sybil Canon, director of Development for Northwest, the Bournes fully endowed the scholarship in memory of Mrs. Harris. In addition to endowing the scholarship, the Bournes provided an additional sum of $500 to be awarded for the 2007-08 academic year with preference for the scholarship going to students with demonstrated financial need.