John L. Harris was the fourth President of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners.​

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Mr. Harris was born in 1894 and served in the military during World War I. 

After the war, Mr. Harris became associated with Luke May, a pioneer in the field of forensic science, and Mr. Harris' friend Clark Sellers, in a detective agency in Pocatello, Idaho. The agency combined investigation with forensic science. 

In 1919, the agency moved to Seattle, Washington.  Mr. Harris opened his own agency in Seattle in 1925. 

​In 1936, he moved his practice to Los Angeles, California.

In 1931, Mr. Harris became one of the men invited to attend meetings in the home of Albert S. Osborn prior to formation of the ASQDE.  When the Society was formed in 1942, Mr. Harris was one of the 15 charter members.

He was the father of John J. Harris, who later became the ninth President of the Society, and was associated with his son in the firm of Harris & Harris for many years. 

Among John L. Harris' published articles and professional papers is, "Typewriting: Original and Carbon Copies," published in the Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science in 1959. 

John L. Harris passed away in 1986.


Derived in part from "Luke May of Seattle - America's Sherlock Holmes," by Jan Beck, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 1, January 1992.