HARRY L. SHARP.
Harry L. Sharp, secretary of the Atchison Commercial Club, is one of the “live wires” of the city and has given evidence of great ability in his chosen profession. He is industrious, frugal, sincere and unpretending. His accurate knowledge as to the departmental matters is a constant surprise to those who have occasion to consult him with reference to any branch of public service. He realizes that facts, and not theories, must be the working forces in this organization. He is not only able, intelligent and practical in the discharge of his duties as secretary of the Commercial Club, but is thoroughly conscientious and always shows the courage of his convictions.
Harry Sharp,
Sec’y Atchison Commercial Club.
Harry L. Sharp was born in Moravia, Iowa, January 14, 1883, a son of John Wilson and Cora Wright Sharp, who trace their ancestry to Thomas Brown and Col. William Crawford, of Pennsylvania. Thomas Brown was one of the early pioneers in western Pennsylvania and founded the town of Brownsville, that State, in the year 1776. Col. William Crawford was a confrere of George Washington. Colonel Crawford married a daughter of Thomas Brown, which closely related both sides of Mr. Sharp’s family, his father’s people being the Crawfords and his mother’s the Browns. He was graduated from the Moravia High School, after which he entered the restaurant and bakery business for himself, conducting the same for a period of three years. Disposing of this business, he came to Atchison and was for a time associated with Sawin & Douglass in the undertaking business, qualifying and obtaining a license to do embalming in the State of Kansas. Following this, he was clerk at the Byram Hotel for a period of three years. During the following year he wrote life insurance and resided in Hiawatha, Kan. Returning from Hiawatha, he took a position as yard clerk in the Missouri Pacific railroad yards. From this position he worked up to that of claim clerk for that company, which position he resigned to become traffic manager for A. J. Harwi Hardware Company. Upon the death of A. J. Harwi, Mr. Sharp succeeded F. E. Harwi, as buyer of the house furnishings goods department of this concern, continuing his traffic work. He held this position until he was tendered and accepted the secretaryship of the Atchison Commercial Club. While Mr. Sharp is a Democrat, he has always been inclined to be independent in his views of things political. He is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Elks and Eagles and other fraternal societies. In December, 1906, Mr. Sharp was married to Mary, daughter of Edward C. Wolters, a native of Germany, and a resident of Atchison, where Mr. Wolters was a contractor for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp have one child, LeRoy Edward, born May 31, 1909.
Mr. Sharp is one of the most capable and efficient experts in his particular vocation that can be found in the West. He seems to be naturally adapted for the difficult and exacting position which he holds, and is gifted with rare tact and diplomacy which is so necessary in handling the various affairs which are placed in his hands in the interest of Atchison and the Commercial Club. He is possessed also of decided literary ability, evidence of which talent will be readily seen in the perusal of the chapter on Atchison Industries which was written and compiled for this volume by Mr. Sharp.