Bio, 2014: Harry Harlan
>After graduating from C. E. Donart HS I went directly to OSU and majored in physics – the hardest course I could find. I had figured out how to make good grades in school and I was in the Honors Program at OSU. The first semester I got A’s in advanced physics, advanced chemistry, advanced math and English. The one lone B was in required ROTC. My 4-point average was blown the first semester, so I joined a fraternity and started having some kind of social life. That one B saved me from nerdom. But, I thought I was pretty smart, so I transferred to MIT after two years at OSU. However, I was simply not prepared for what I encountered in the Boston environment of the 1960’s and ended up loosing my religion – I became an atheist. Upon graduation, early in 1969, in Life Sciences, I suffered a major breakdown and was not able to go on to graduate school. Twenty four desperate years followed, as I was married, moved to New Orleans, had three sons, the first of whom was born prematurely and did not survive, and went back to school in civil engineering. I say desperate, because something very important was missing form my life and I was searching for answers. Finally, in 1992 the Spirit of God led me to a small black Baptist church in my neighborhood and there I heard the Word of God for the first time in my life: that Jesus died for my sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead and if you believe in Him you will be saved. This I did on March 10, 1992 and immediately I was born again and my life was forever changed. In the coming years I was called to preach (I am now an ordained black Baptist minister) and started teaching at Christian Bible College of Louisiana. Now, I am retired after a career in civil engineering. Both my sons are married and I have five grandchildren. My first wife and I divorced and I remarried in 2003. We survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and came back even stronger. I now know that God had His hand on me since I was a child and I thank Him for everything that has happened in my life. Since I retired, along with my ministry, I am spending a great deal of time writing my father’s biography.
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964