HARRISON, LEON

HARRISON, LEON (1866–1928), U.S. rabbi. Born in Liverpool England, Harrison immigrated to the United States with his parents and studied in public schools, the City College of New York, and Columbia University. He then attended the Congregation Emanu-El Theological Seminary and was ordained by Kaufmann Kohler and Gustav Gottheil. His first pulpit was in Brooklyn and later he officiated in St. Louis. He first introduced Sunday services in St. Louis and later abandoned them for late Friday evening services. Deeply concerned socially, he was vice president of the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, director of the Tenement House Improvement Association, and a founder of the Social Settlement League and the Fresh Air Society in St. Louis. A wonderful preacher he delivered a eulogy at the funeral of Henry Ward Beecher and also gave the McKinley memorial address at the St. Louis Coliseum. He was the co-editor of the Semitics section of the Editor's Encyclopedia. A posthumous publication of his sermons was titled The Religion of the Modern Liberal. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: American Jewish Year Book, 5 (1903); Universal Jewish Encyclopedia; K. Olitzsky, I. Sussman, and M.H. Stern, Reform Judaism in American: A Biographical Dictionary and Source-book (1993). (Michael Berenbaum (2nd ed.)