Charles "Chuck" Harrison facts for kids

Charles "Chuck" Harrison (born September 23, 1931 – died November 29, 2018) was a very important American industrial designer. He was also a speaker and a teacher. He was special because he was one of the first African-American industrial designers to become a leader in a big company. He was the first African-American executive at Sears, Roebuck and Company. He started at Sears in 1961 as a designer and later managed the whole design team.

Chuck helped design over 750 consumer products! These included things like portable hair dryers, toasters, stereos, lawn mowers, sewing machines, Craftsman power tools, and see-through measuring cups. He also designed fondue pots, stoves, and the very first plastic trash can. This plastic trash can even changed the sound of trash collection day!

Perhaps his most famous work was leading the team that updated the View-Master in 1958. He designed the classic Model F View-Master. This toy was like an old-fashioned virtual reality viewer. It let you look at photos in three dimensions. The View-Master was first introduced in 1939. Chuck's updated design was so good that it sold for over 40 years with only small color changes. It became a popular toy in homes around the world. Chuck said he was inspired by designers like Charles Eames and Elliot Noyes.

Early Life and Growing Up

Charles Alfred Harrison Jr. was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on September 23, 1931. His father, Charles Harrison Sr., taught industrial arts at Southern University in Louisiana. In 1936, his family moved to Texas. His father became a professor at Prairie View A&M University, a university for black students.

Chuck's mother, Cora Lee (Smith) Harrison, went back to her parents’ house for his birth. This was because many hospitals at the time did not welcome black people. Both his father and his mother's father were carpenters. Chuck believed their work helped him become interested and skilled in design.

In 1945, his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. His father taught shop at the Phoenix Union Colored High School. Charles graduated from there in 1948. He went to the City College of San Francisco for a short time. He was told he had a future in art, so he went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chuck attended George Washington Carver High School, which was an all-black school. This school closed when schools became integrated in the 1950s. Today, it is a museum and cultural center. A room in the museum is dedicated to Chuck Harrison's work.

In high school, Chuck was very active. He played basketball and tennis. He also participated in the band and chorus.

Education and Learning Design

Chuck Harrison went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) from 1949 to 1954. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. One of his teachers was Henry P. Glass, a well-known industrial designer. Chuck was very excited to work with Glass. Glass saw Chuck's talent and gave him good grades. He also let Chuck visit his design studios. Glass became one of Chuck's most important mentors and supporters. While at SAIC, Chuck also met his future wife.

In 1956, he went back to SAIC for more studies. He later transferred to the Illinois Institute of Technology. He earned his Master of Science degree in Art Education in 1963.

His Design Career

Between his college degrees, Chuck Harrison joined the United States Army. He was sent to Germany. He served for two years in a unit that made maps and drawings.

It was hard for Chuck to find work in the United States because of unfair rules at the time. He said that trying to live and have a professional career as a black person was a big challenge. Once he got through those difficulties, he was able to build a lifelong career.

After leaving the army and finishing school, Chuck looked for a job with a design company. He interviewed at Sears. However, he was told he could not be hired as a full-time employee because he was black. The hiring manager liked Chuck's work, though. So, he was able to give Chuck freelance design jobs for Sears on the side.

His former professor, Henry Glass, gave him his first full-time job. He worked on furniture designs. Chuck said Glass taught him a lot about details, drawing, and how to make products. He also learned about the business side of design, like working with clients.

Over the next few years, Chuck worked for other design companies. In 1958, while working at Robert Podall Associates, he updated the popular View-Master toy. Chuck made the View-Master lighter, stronger, and much easier for children to use. This simple design was a key part of his work. Chuck had dyslexia, which made him want to design products that were easy to understand. He wanted people to use his products without needing to read instructions.

In 1961, Sears finally offered him a job. Chuck became the first African-American executive hired at Sears' Chicago headquarters. He worked for Sears until he retired in 1993.

Chuck's favorite design was the plastic garbage can. He made it very strong and simple. The design allowed the cans to stack inside each other. This made them easier to ship and store. The lid and handle were made at the same time, which saved money. These ideas made the trash can cheaper for people to buy.

Chuck had a dream to work with a company that would make products for everyone. He wanted to create products that were the best quality, even if it meant less profit. He also wanted to design low-cost products for people with severe disabilities. He believed these products could help them live more independently.

After retiring, Chuck taught part-time at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. He made sure to mentor students of color.

Awards and Special Recognition

Chuck Harrison received many awards for his amazing work:

• In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
• In October 2008, he won the Lifetime Achievement National Design Award. This award came from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. He was the first African-American to receive this important award.
• In 2007, his designs were shown with other African-American product designers. This was at the "Designs for Life: Black Creativity 2007" exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago).
• In 2006, he received Focus on DESIGN's Lifetime Achievement Award. In September 2006, he also won the Industrial Designers Society of America's Lifetime Distinguished Service Award.
• In the same year, his memoir (a book about his life) was published. It was called A Life's Design: The Life and Work of Industrial Designer Charles Harrison (ISBN: 0-9773271-0-8).
• In 2000, Chuck's work was shown in an exhibit called "The World of a Product Designer: Charles Harrison." This was at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center.
• There is also a scholarship named after him: The UIC Osmosis Charles Harrison Scholarship. It helps young minority students study design in college.

Death

Chuck Harrison passed away at age 87 on November 29, 2018. His son, Charles Harrison III, said the cause was a bacterial infection.