LAURA HARRIS, 52, AN EDITOR, IS DEAD

Author of Children’s Books Here Had Served London Concern Since 1953

Laura Harris, former executive secretary of the Children’s Book Council here and author of several children’s books, died in London Wednesday. Her age was 52.

In December 1953, Miss Harris relinquished her position as juvenile editor for Garden City Books and went to London as editor for the English concern of Adprint, Ltd. In that capacity she assisted in the publication of Lancelot Hogben’s The Wonderful World of Mathematics and James Fisher’s Wonderful World: The adventure of the Earth We Live In.

She wrote the novel Ring in the New, which was published in September 1950. It was described as "a human and amusing story of family life on the banks of the Ohio in the brand-new twentieth century."

Her publisher here was the R. R. Bowker Company, 62 West Forty-fifth Street.

Miss Harris entered the book trade in 1928 with Grosset & Dunlap and organized a separate juvenile department for that company two years later.

In the war years she left the publishing field temporarily. In 1944 she became director of Children’s Book Week and when the Children’s Book Council was organized in the fall of that year she was named its first executive secretary.

From "The New York Times", Sunday, April 15, 1956

Note by Linda M. Jenkins, great niece of Laura Harris: Ordered several copies of Ring in the New. My mother could tell from the biographical information and picture on the dust jacket that it was written by another Laura Harris. The story of the book was as described in my Aunt Laura’s obituary. Therefore, it appears that it was an error to list the book as having been written by her. Certainly do hope that she had a good sense of humor! Also, there is another book named Bride of the River. I would think that book was written by the author of Ring in the New. (August 22, 2001)

In addition to the pop-up books:

Animated Noah’s Ark

Pop-Up Cowboys and Indians

Happy Little Choo-Choo, The

Pop-Up Going To School

Pop-Up Tell Me A Story

She wrote/edited the following:

Aesop’s Fables

Away We Go

The Happy Little Travelers

Freddy and the Fire Engine

Heydays and Holidays

Note on Gravesite by Linda: My cousin Perry F. Gawen, Jr. sent me a copy of the deed to Aunt Laura’s gravesite. It is made out to Perry’s mother Margaret Gawen. Since the date of the deed May 23, 1956 is so close to the death of Aunt Laura we feel that this is indeed where she is buried. The certificate is issued from the Borough of St Marylebone (from the French: Mary the Good) which grants exclusive right of burial in grave space numbered 149 in Square 02 in the St. Marylebone Borough Council’s Cemetery at East Finchley, in the County of Middlesex. Current research indicates that the cemetery has been renamed East Finchley Cemetery. (October 6, 2001)