Perhaps one incident in late 1996 described much of what Arthur Harrison was about: when he stood before the town’s memorial to AIDS victims with his head bowed, the testimony of his life’s anguish revealed on his face.
This was the town’s first day dedicated to AIDS victims, and Harrison spoke briefly about helping those who suffered from the dreadful disease. He talked about the struggle his son, Robert, had gone through, and only those who knew Arthur Harrison well understood the full impact of those statements.
Harrison had stood by his son through the terrible ordeal, patiently attempting to ease the boy’s suffering before he died. Harrison had performed a similar service through his first wife’s long illness until her death.
Those who knew Harrison best said he had the same unassuming attitude towards life: the hardworking, behind the scenes kind of man who allowed other people to bask in the glory as he got things done.
“He called every woman ‘darling,'” said Katherine Steffens, director of the Secaucus Library, who worked closely with Harrison over the years planning the expansion of the existing library then later, the construction of the new library on Paterson Plank Road. “He made everyone feel special.”
Harrison, a trustee to the Library for 12 years, died on March 9 at 77, a victim of cancer.
He was known publicly for his extreme dedication to the library – especially in his roles as chairman to the buildings and grounds committee overseeing the new library construction.
Started in 1990
Appointed to the library board in March 1990, Harrison soon became the force behind the proposed renovation of the library. He oversaw seeking designs that would have expanded the existing library.
“To me he was one of the hardest working people I ever met and one of the most diligent board members we ever had,” Steffens said.
An engineer for New York Telephone Company for 39 years, Harrison was good with numbers, and spent a great deal of time supplying the trustees with alternative costs and calculations for each proposed change in a project.
“He supplied us with filing cabinets of information,” Steffens said. “He could tell us the number of employees we would need and how much something would cost. I’m sure if there’s a clerk of the works in Heaven, Arthur is it.”
Since he retired in 1985, Harrison had a lot of time to devote to the library and showed up as often as three or four times a week, often pausing to converse with the staff.
Richard Gantzhorn, the library’s computer specialist, said Harrison was very fond of movies and frequently made use of the library’s video archive.
“Mr. Harrison really loved his movies,” Gantzhorn said.
Harrison knew as much about the operations of the library as any staff member, and – according to Steffens – had a thorough understanding the circulation system. So he often made recommendations that helped save the library time and money.
Harrison served in the Army Air Corps. during World War II, and as a member of the Telephone Pioneers, a civic organization dedicated to education, the disabled, the environment and disaster relief.
Harrison’s death, Steffens said, alerted the library trustees for the need to celebrate the library’s heroes while they are still involved with the library. In this regard, the library trustees passed a resolution at its March meeting to honor trustee Pat Pressa, who has been a trustee at the library since 1978.
“We’ve set up a program that will honor members of the library for various years of service,” Steffens said. Pressa, because of his long service, will be honored at a dinner later this year.