Biographies: Tracy Lee Harrel, Sr., 1989, Winn Parish, LA. Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: September 27, 1989 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American Tracy L. Harrel, Sr., Model Businessman and Politician by June Rohr, Enterprise News Editor On September 11, Tracy Lee Harrel, Sr., celebrated his 93rd birthday. He was born in 1896. After serving in World War I, Harrel went to work in the sawmills and managed several logging camps in Mississippi and Arkansas. He came to Winnfield from Lewisville, Arkansas, to manage the Mansfield Lumber Co. He liked what he saw in Winnfield and stayed. After managing the lumber company from 1925-45, he went into business with his brother, Tommy, to form Harrel Builders. The original business, Winnfield Lumber & Supply Company, was formed in 1935 in the wake of a tornado which destroyed City Hall and severely damaged many residences. Tommy Harrel was the manager. But how many people remember that Mr. Harrel once defeated Earl K. Long in a political race? On February 26, 1952, Edward J. Meeman, editor of the Memphis Press Scinutar, published an editorial first featured in the Shreveport Times a short time before. The editorial was titled "A Model Politician." The writer of the article admitted that Harrel would probably be surprised at being referred to as a model politician, even though it was meant to be complimentary. Running against Long in a two-man race, Harrel was elected to serve as the new Winn Parish member of the Democratic State Central Committee, an organization which had a lot of power over Louisiana's part in national Democratic Party politics. It was the first time Harrel had ever sought office, and the very first time Long had ever been defeated. It was Harrel's political campaign that so impressed the public. His manner of campaigning was merely by running a few simple newspaper ads which proclaimed the only plank in his platform: an honest delegation to the next Democratic convention. He said his delegation would be "uninstructed in every way but one." That one instruction was to get rid of Harry Truman as quickly and as practically as possible. (Truman was considered "too liberal" for the conservative South.) Harrel also paid his own campaign bills and defended his right to do so by saying "if he wanted to crack into a few stone walls, politically speaking, it was his privilege." During 1962-66, when Mary Doc Allen was mayor, Harrel served on the City Council. He is an original charter member of the Rotary Club and the only surviving charter member today. At 93, Harrel is no longer at the forefront of the business community, his son and nephew have taken over that chore. He no longer feels the desire to hold a political office in order to fight for honest and forthright government representation. Harrel has lived long and well and he has earned the reputation of a hardworking and honest man during his lifetime. "I don't know what the secret of a long life is," Harrel admitted, "but it's been a good one for me. I've been happy in Winnfield."