About Mary and David Harrison

The Harrison Institute is named for the late David and Mary Harrison, who were visionary benefactors of the University of Virginia. Mary Anderson Harrison was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up on Long Island. She attended the Brearley School and Finch College in New York. David A. Harrison III, a native of Hopewell, Virginia, graduated from the College in 1939, and from the Law School in 1941. Following distinguished service in World War II, Mr. Harrison practiced law at White & Case in New York until 1961, when he joined Reynolds & Co., later Dean Witter Reynolds. The Harrisons married in 1944. They raised three daughters and two sons in Old Brookville, New York and in 1987 moved permanently to the historic Flowerdew Hundred Plantation Farm in Hopewell. At Flowerdew, among other ventures, the Harrisons became major patrons of historical archaeology.