HAROLD J. McCURRY

Sacramento County

Biographies

HAROLD J. McCURRY

HAROLD J. McCURRY.--The postmaster of Sacramento, Harold J. McCurry, is in thorough accord with the growth and development of the capital city and in close sympathy with its people, having a clear understanding of their wants, wishes and aspirations. By profession he is a photographer. He was born in Allegheny City, Pa., on January 1,1885, the son of Dr. J. M. and Alice (Hammond) McCurry, for many years esteemed citizens of that progressive eastern city, who in the year 1889 moved out to Tacoma, Wash., and for some years thereafter were residents of that state, at Tacoma and Seattle. On March 14, 1895, J. M. McCurry settled in Oakland with his family; and three years later, in 1898, he went to San Luis Obispo, where he practiced as a dentist until May 1922. He then located in Sacramento, where he is still actively engaged in the practice of his profession.

It happened, therefore, that Harold McCurry began his career in California when a lad of thirteen; and he has continued on the up-grade ever since. He got all he could in the excellent courses of the public schools and then he took up the study of photography at the Illinois College of Photography, at Effingham, Ill. From there he was called on to go to the St. Louis (Mo.) Exposition to take charge of the San Luis Obispo and Monterey County exhibits, the regular commissioner having been taken ill. He then worked under the direction of Mr. J. A. Filcher of North Sacramento, and also Mr. Wiggins, the present secretary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. As a result of his work at St. Louis and his meeting and acquaintance with Mr., Filcher, who was then the secretary of the California State Agricultural Board, he was later appointed official photographer for the California State Fair, in 1909. After the St. Louis Exposition he returned to California, and opened up studios at San Louis Obispo and at Paso Robles. Both of these he sold out in 1906, and went to San Francisco after the earthquake, in order to accept a position as assistant operator for Bushnell. He soon became traveling operator, visiting all of his employer’s galleries in the state. During the next two years he held positions with the Turkelson and Henry studios of San Francisco, and with Otto Boye at Berkeley. The latter part of 1908, in partnership with Ed Pollock, he opened up the Photo-Shop on Eleventh street, opposite the Cathedral, in Sacramento. He sold out to Mr. Pollock on January 27, 1909; and the next day, January 28, 1909, he bought out the commercial photographic plant of the Sutter Engraving Company, then located at 420 J Street. This was the beginning of the McCurry Photo Company, which has become one of the greatest institutions of its kind in the state, turning out work which has gained nation-wide notice. Mr. McCurry recently purchased the northwest corner at Eighth and I Streets, which will henceforth be the home of the McMurry Photo Company. He has put in a garden especially adapted to outdoor photography.

Ever since 1909 Mr. McCurry has been the official photographer for the California State Fair, and later he became the official photographer for the seventeen Northern California counties under the name of the Sacramento Valley Exposition Commission, of which J. A. Filcher was the head. Mr. McCurry made all the stationary and moving pictures, for the said seventeen counties, which were used at the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915. By request and order of the late Ed Carriger, chairman of the Board of Education, the first moving pictures for educational purposes in the public schools of the city of Sacramento were made and installed under Mr. McCurry’s direction in the year 1914. He is at the present time the chairman of the Advertising Committee for twenty counties of Northern California. A leader in his profession, he is a member of the Photographic Association of America.

Always a booster for Sacramento, Mr. McCurry is an active member in the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, the Advertising Club, the Rotary Club, and the Sutter Club. He is a past president of the Home Products Industrial Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce and has just served two years as a director of the Chamber of Commerce. Closely related to the Chamber of Commerce is the Community Chest, Inc., of Sacramento, an organization that has for its aim and purpose, philanthropy, charity and character building. It is composed of twenty-three organizations, and Mr. McCurry is its president. The Community Chest, Inc., has recently completed a drive for $226,000. Mr. McCurry has also been a member of the board of managers of the Napa State Hospital.

It is but natural that a man so deeply interested in furthering the public welfare should be called on to hold public office. On the 23^rd day of November 1921, Mr. McCurry was appointed by President Harding as postmaster for the city of Sacramento.

Mr. McCurry was married on May 13,1917, to Miss Louise Schall, of Sacramento; and their fortunate union has been blessed with the birth of two children: Harold James, Jr., and Owen Robert.

Transcribed by Gloria Wiegner Lane.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 471. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.