Bill Harris and Don Hall with Norris statue at TVA Headquarters. [Click to enlarge]

Bob Harris is a native of McCook and for a time worked in Lincoln with the Nebr. Dept. of Energy during the Ben Nelson administration. For the past eight years he has worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, as a specialist in "Alternative Sources of Energy".

In McCook, Bob and his family members were all great fans of Senator Norris, the "Father of the TVA." During McCook's first half century, two of the city's best-known citizens were George Norris and Louis Suess, (Bob's grandfather). As young men, Judge Norris and Merchant (DeGroff's Store), Louis Suess suffered similar tragedies. Soon after moving to McCook, Norris' first wife, Pluma died, just days after delivering the couple's third daughter in 1901. Louis Suess' first wife had died in the late 1890s, leaving him with two small daughters. In 1902 he married Ethel Oyster, and that marriage was blessed with a daughter, Eleanor (Bob's mother). A year later, Norris also remarried -- to a local school marm, Ellie Leonard. The two families remained close friends. It is safe to say that Norris had a great effect on the Harris family, politically -- the great man's work in the creation of the TVA was a big reason why Bob was drawn to his work with the TVA in Alabama.

Bob Harris has never lost his love of McCook. Since he has been with the TVA in Alabama he has worked tirelessly to strengthen the ties between the TVA and McCook, the home of Senator Norris. Toward this end Bob worked out an arrangement that resulted in the TVA's help in furthering the project of creating the life size George Norris statue that now sits in the front yard of the Norris House in McCook. The TVA bought 20 of the replica (Little George) statues, at $125 each, which greatly aided the fund-raising efforts of the Norris Foundation for that project. To emphasize that gesture, this year Bob invited a delegation of Norris Foundation members to a special meeting, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the TVA in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Duane Tappe presenting Norris statuette to TVA Board President, Bill Sansom. [Click to enlarge]

In answer to Bob Harris' and the TVA's invitation, the Norris Foundation voted to send Duane Tappe, former curator of the Norris Home, Don Hall, present curator of the Norris Home, and Walt Sehnert, Norris Foundation member, to Muscle Shoals for the 75th Anniversary celebration -- to present the Norris statue replicas to the TVA in person. Mike Kugler, of the Kugler Company generously offered to fly the delegation in his plane. As a friendly gesture, the TVA Board turned back four of the Little George statuettes to Duane Tappe, which he could resell, to help with the expenses of the trip.

Probably few people in Nebraska took the trouble to observe the 19th of May, 2008 as a special holiday. But in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, that day was observed with great ceremony, remembering the day 75 years ago that President Roosevelt signed into law the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, perhaps the greatest economic stimulus package in the history of the United States.

For years and years the Muscle Shoals area, along the Tennessee River, was a very poor district of mainly subsistence cotton farmers, working worn out soil. Then, during WW I, President Wilson instigated the creation of a power dam on the river (Wilson Dam), and the construction of four nitrate plants, to provide domestic Nitrate for making munitions. With that Muscle Shoals became a boom town, with 18,000 workers involved in the project. The war ended before a single pound of nitrate could be produced.

After the war Wilson Dam and the Nitrate plants became the center of a political controversy, which has continued to the present day -- some forces wanting the project turned over to private sources, others wanting government ownership. (More about Senator Norris, Henry Ford, and the TVA in next week's column.)

Today Muscle Shoals is just one of four communities on either side of the Tennessee River that make up the Muscle Shoals/Quad City vicinity -- the others are Florence, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. Together the four cities total some 100,000 population. As one drives in the area it is difficult to tell just where one city ends and another begins. Each has its own mayor and city government (and city pride), but just in the last year or so they have come together to build an impressive Economic Development Center, which will help the entire area.

Bob Harris was determined that the Norris Foundation members should see as much of the area as possible---and there was a lot to see. Though Muscle Shoals still prides itself in being the home of and the headquarters of the TVA, the personnel of the TVA has declined over the years, until today there is but a fraction of the workers involved as were a few years ago. But electricity rates are low (the cheapest in the nation), and this has attracted industry and helped to make the area the fastest growing region in Alabama.

Muscle Shoals boasts its claim as the "Music Capital of the South", rivaling Nashville as a recording Mecca. The recording studio, known as Fame, began recording rock and pop stars in the 1960s, giving rise to the "Muscle Shoals Sound". Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clampton, Rod Steward, and countless others recorded their albums at the Muscle Shoals Fame Studio.

Tuscumbia is the home of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and is the birthplace of Helen Keller. Bob Harris says that the Helen Keller home in Tuscumbia, was one of the places the Harris family visited on their frequent trips to Harris family home in Opelika, Alabama. The Harris boys were inspired to see how that great lady overcame deafness and blindness to become a world famous author and speaker, while advocating to governments and business groups on behalf of the blind. On these visits they invariably gained new determination to succeed -- a trait which the Harris boys certainly exemplify.

The Muscle Shoal region is fast becoming a favored location for $1million plus homes along the river. The view of the river/lake is fantastic and fine local golf courses and water sports make the location very attractive. But the lots sit atop rocky banks, some 50' or 60' above the river, and those banks are very steep. Some of the lawns run to the very edge of the cliff, making lawn mowing a hazardous task. Obviously, no place for small children -- But, as was pointed out to us, "The view is fantastic!"

Florence Alabama is the largest of the Quad-Cities. It was the birthplace of W.C. Handy, "The Father of the Blues," as well as pioneering record producer, Sam Phillips, who discovered Elvis Pressley. Of particular interest to the McCook group was a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Florence, the only one in Alabama. The house is a bit smaller than the one in McCook, but its features were very familiar -- as were the school children emerging from their bus and lining up for an "end of school" tour of the home.

Florence is also the location of the Mariott Shoals Hotel/Resort Convention Center (very high class), surrounded by a new city park and recreation area, and overlooked by the Renaissance Tower, with a revolving restaurant, which looks out over the Wilson Dam and the Tennessee River. It was at the Convention Center that the TVA 75th Anniversary party was held. It was interesting to hear speakers extol the accomplishments of the TVA and pay tribute to George Norris. Eleanor Harris, Bob's Mother, was honored, as a lady who had actually known the Senator and his wife, Ellie. (It was gratifying to hear Duane Tappe charm the dignitaries and guests with his Nebraska humor -- contrasting the area trees with the sparseness of the plains -- as he presented the statuettes to the TVA Board President, Bill Sansom.)

Later, on the way to the airport, Bob reflected, "Remember, we in Muscle Shoals and the TVA, and you in McCook have a lot in common. After all, McCook's favorite son was the Father of the TVA." That must make us relatives somehow. Let's keep in touch!"

Source: "75 Years of TVA", Florence Times Daily