Don Harrell, now retired, led a remarkable and rich professional career. The central theme to
Harrell’s work has been a commitment to the values of higher education
and public service. As a professor of English at the University of
Houston beginning in 1968, Harrell spent seven years in the classroom
helping undergraduates to develop a love for American literature before
accepting a position in 1975 for then-Governor David Pryor as his press
secretary. As childhood friends from Camden, Pryor entrusted Harrell
with the task of translating, crafting, and communicating his message
to the citizens of Arkansas. Harrell then briefly returned to
education, joining the University Affairs staff of the State University
of New York for three years as a communications associate. In 1981,
Harrell accepted the position as David Pryor’s administrative
assistant, or chief of staff, in the United States Senate where he
served for 12 years. After more than a decade in Washington, and nearly
twenty years in politics, Harrell accepted the position of Executive
Vice President for External Affairs of the Teachers Insurance and
Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund in New York City,
one of the nation’s largest private retirement systems, covering nearly
three million members of the academic community. He spent 11 years
with TIAA-CREF.
Harrell is a 1959 graduate of Hendrix. He earned a master’s degrees from American University and George Washington
University before receiving a doctorate degree from Vanderbilt
University in American Literature