A Minerva House is renamed Harris House in honor of President David Harris

More than 20 years after it opened its intellectual doors as one of the original Minerva Houses, Green House has a new name: Harris House.

The campus community gathered Thursday night to officially dedicate Harris House, named in honor of President David R. Harris for his leadership and contributions as Union’s 19th president.

In September, Harris announced he would be stepping down at the end of the academic year after seven years. Elizabeth Kiss, chief executive of the Rhodes Trust and former president of Agnes Scott College, assumes the presidency July 1.

Each of Union’s seven Minerva houses honors the legacy of a member of the Union community. Green House was the last one without an honoree.

Julie Greifer Swidler ’79, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, said the board decided in March to honor Harris for his extraordinary leadership over the past seven years.

“The most incredibly fitting way to honor President Harris is by naming a place that students will live and learn in that will be forever known as the Harris House.”

As his wife, Anne, and daughters, Maya and Eve, looked on, Harris reflected on his time as president and what it has meant to him and his family. He talked about all the people he has met from parents to students to community members since he first stepped foot on campus as president.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Harris said. “Nobody knew what we were in for, and every time we just rolled up our sleeves and said let’s figure out how to make this work. I know the school will continue to do so in the future.”

Harris said he was overwhelmed by Thursday's honor.

“I was this kid from Philly going to school in Chicago,” where he met his wife, Harris said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to lead a college, this fine college, and to have our name on this building.”

Among the dignitaries who attended the dedication was Gary McCarthy, the mayor of Schenectady. McCarthy presented Harris with a key to the city for strengthening the partnership between the city and the College.

Harris is a passionate fan of both the men’s and women’s hockey teams. Players Caden Villegas ’25 and Maren Friday ’25 presented him with his own framed hockey jersey.

The 30-minute ceremony concluded with Harris hoping a theme takes hold in the newly renamed house.

“I hope it will be intentional about creating opportunities for people to come into contact with ideas and people who are new to them,” Harris said. “Not because I want you to change your mind, but because I want you to wrestle with different experiences and ideas, and learn what you think as a result.”

Following the dedication, the celebration continued with a festive campus block party featuring food trucks, music from the student band, Nott Logical, and other activities.

Named for the Roman goddess of Wisdom, the Minerva Houses launched in the fall of 2004 as an innovative experiment to see where the lines between academic, cultural and social life could become blurred. This one-of-a-kind program gives every student a “community within a community,” plus spaces to hang out in and host events.

The idea attracted national attention, including in the New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Wold and Messa are housed in North College; Sorum and Harris in South College. Beuth House is located next to Memorial Chapel; Golub is across from Octopus’s Garden; Breazzano is just within Union’s main gate to the right.

Every student, faculty member, and most staff members belong to one of the seven Minerva Houses, which provide a center for members' academic and social activities.

There are currently 46 students living in what is now Harris House. Another 42 faculty members and 33 staff members are members of the house.