Founder of The Harris Poll, Louis Harris, Died Saturday December 17, 2016

Research industry mourns loss of innovative pollster and shaper of public opinion

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Dec 27, 2016, 01:00 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Harris, one of America's best-known and most respected pollsters, passed away Saturday December 17, 2016 at his home in Key West, FL at the age of 95.

A household name for much of the 20^th century, Mr. Harris dedicated over four decades to measuring and analyzing consumer and voter sentiment using increasingly inventive approaches to sampling and survey design, and in so doing, advanced the art, science, and industry of market research and public opinion polling.

He was "a true original, who pushed the envelope beyond any of his predecessors in the design and use of surveys," said Humphrey Taylor, chairman emeritus of The Harris Poll and Mr. Harris's successor at Louis Harris & Associates.

Born in New Haven, CT on January 6, 1921, Mr. Harris earned a degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1942 and conducted his first poll in 1945 when, as a Navy officer stationed in Boston, he was asked by the Navy to evaluate sailor morale.

In 1947, he began his research career as Elmo Roper's assistant (and later partner), and in 1956, he founded Louis Harris & Associates, which focused on market research for companies like American Airlines and Standard Oil, and political polling for both Democratic and Republican candidates, most famously, John F. Kennedy in 1958 for his Senate re-election campaign.

In 1963, Mr. Harris launched The Harris Poll and became a syndicated columnist as well as public opinion analyst for CBS News (and later ABC News). His columns were published in more than 100 newspapers over more than 20 years, and Harris Polls were often in the news for covering ground-breaking topics and making accurate predictions.

Mr. Harris "pioneered the testing of messages that could be used by (and against) candidates, leaders, and advocates," elaborated Mr. Taylor. "His friends and clients included three presidents, leading members of Congress, and the CEOs of some of the world's leading companies including Exxon, Ford, AT&T, and Johnson & Johnson."

To see some of Louis Harris's most popular and provocative columns spanning over 40 years of research, please visit www.theharrispoll.com/in-the-news/harris-polls/Remembering-Louis-Harris.html.

To see other recent Harris Polls, please visit our website, TheHarrisPoll.com.

The Harris Poll^® #69, December 27, 2016
By Kathy Steinberg, Managing Editor, The Harris Poll

About The Harris Poll®

Begun in 1963, The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys measuring public opinion in the U.S. and is highly regarded throughout the world. The nationally representative polls, conducted primarily online, measure the knowledge, opinions, behaviors and motivations of the general public. New and trended polls on a wide variety of subjects including politics, the economy, healthcare, foreign affairs, science and technology, sports and entertainment, and lifestyles are published weekly. For more information, or to see other recent polls, please visit our new website, TheHarrisPoll.com.

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SOURCE The Harris Poll