Harris Whittemore

Harris Whittemore held such a place indisputably and for many years in Naugatuck. His friends in other cities knew him as a successful manufacturer, but in his home city the public mind associated him with the schools and parks and hospitals, in the establishment and development of which he had taken in every case the leading part. He was Chairman of the Naugatuck Red Cross and Chairman of the State Park Commission. Director of a dozen banks, railways and industrial enterprises, his simplicity of manner never suggested exercise of financial power or possession of a large fortune. Next to his city and its welfare, indeed, it was music and art which meant most to him in his interesting and useful life. This is a type of citizenship which naturally stands out in stronger and more picturesque relief in a smaller community. Fortunately, it cannot be obscured even in the greatest municipality.

Alexander Dana Noyes
1928 Century Association Yearbook