Edwin Davies Harrison was the sixth president of the Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...

 (Georgia Tech), from 1957 to 1969. It was in Harrison's honor that the first 'T' was stolen from the face of Tech Tower

Tech Tower

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, commonly known as Tech Tower, is a historic building located at 225 North Avenue NW in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and a focal point of the central campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology...

.

Early life and education

Harrison graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939 and served in the Navy until 1945. He then earned a master's in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1948, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

 in 1952.

Career

Harrison was Assistant Dean at Virginia Tech and Dean of Engineering at the University of Toledo

University of Toledo

The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...

.

Previous Georgia Tech president Blake Ragsdale Van Leer

Blake Ragsdale Van Leer

Blake Ragsdale Van Leer was the fifth president of Georgia Institute of Technology from 1944 until his death.-Early life and education:...

 had died in office, and interim dean Paul Weber

Paul Weber (academic)

Paul Weber was the interim president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from previous president Blake Ragsdale Van Leer's death until a replacement was found in Edwin D...

 had served for nearly 17 months while the institute searched for a president that was willing to serve in the tough social climate.

After his abrupt retirement from Georgia Tech after ten years as president, Harrison worked for J.P. Stevens (now part of WestPoint Home

WestPoint Home

WestPoint Home is a conglomerate corporation that dates back over 200 years through the companies that have merged together. Beginning with J.P. Stevens & Co., Inc...

) for seven years and subsequently retired.