Polly Harris

Harris was born Pauline Adair Elstein in Kansas City, Missouri on December 6, 1924.[1][2] As early as nine, she began to get interested in the theater and at 17, had directed her first play.[1] In 1943, she graduated with an associate degree in art from Kansas City Junior College and two years later, earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.[1] She married Paul Harris in 1949 and the couple moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico and then to El Paso a year later.[1]

Between 1950 and 1959, Harris worked for radio stations, KSET and KEPO, and then later, until 1968, worked in advertising.[1] Harris became involved in theater in El Paso in 1952, playing in a comedy at the Turn of the Century Theater.[1] She also helped raise money for the theater.[2] Harris was also involved in leadership positions in other theaters, including serving on the board of directors for the El Paso Playhouse.[1][3] Both Harris and mayor of El Paso, Tom Westfall, had small parts in the film, The Border (1982).[4]

Harris first ran for office in 1977, running for a new City Council position.[1] She was the sixth woman in El Paso to run for council and the first woman to serve three terms in that office.[1][5] In office, she was considered a moderate vote and focused on tourism and advocating for women and the elderly.[1] She also supported equality for Hispanic people in El Paso.[6] In office, Harris jokingly called herself an "alderbroad."[1] Harris was also the first woman to serve as mayor pro tempore, when she presided over City Council on February 19, 1980.[1] Harris also ran, unsuccessfully for mayor of El Paso in 1985.[1] She lost another bid for City Council in 1986, and had planned to run again for mayor in 1989.[7][8] Harris also served as the chair of the El Paso Women's Political Caucus.[9]

Harris collapsed at a friend's house on December 4, 1987 and went into a coma.[10] She died of a brain aneurysm on December 6, 1987.[11] At her funeral, there were more than 700 people attending the service at the Martin Funeral Chapel.[12] A scholarship in her name was created by the El Paso Women's Political Caucus.[13] In 1989, a senior center on the West side of El Paso was constructed and named for Polly Harris.[14] A memorial for Harris was placed at the Transmountain Optimist Club bicycle track in 1989.[15] She is an honorary member of the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame.[16]