Papers of Sir Douglas Alexander Earsman Harkness, 1902-1980, arts graduate, University of Glasgow, Scotland

• Lecture notes and essays 1919-1924;
• Correspondence and testimonials 1922-1926;
• Published materials, including many written by Douglas Alexander Earsman Harkness 1924-1950;
• Notebooks and ephemera 1922-1929.

Sir Douglas Alexander Earsman Harkness was born on 12 September 1902 to George Wightman Harkness and Jane Earsman Harkness. He first matriculated at the University of Glasgow , Scotland, in 1919  where he studied French, History and Political Economy. He graduated with an MA in 1922  gaining a 2nd Class Honours in History in that year and 1st Class Honours in Economic Science in 1923. From 1923-1924  he was a Reid Stewart Fellow in Economic Science at the University of Glasgow.

In 1924  he was given his first appointment in the Civil Service in Northern Ireland in which he was to serve until his retirement in 1963  . His first appointment was with the Stormont Ministry of Agriculture and during this period (1926) he was also appointed to the Lectureship in Agricultural Economics at the Queen's University of Belfast. He was promoted Assistant Secretary of the Ministry in 1936 and became Permanent Secretary in 1948. He transferred to the Ministry of Commerce and subsequently to the Ministry of Finance becoming Permanent Secretary and head of the Civil Service of Northern Ireland in 1953. He was awarded the CBE in 1946  a KBE in 1956  and an honorary LLD in 1962. Sir Douglas Harkness died on 28 December 1980  .

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Open

Deposit : Lady Harkness : 1981

Digital file level list available in searchroom

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GB 255, Sir Edward Archdale and Sir Douglas Harkness Papers held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (ref: D3373).

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Description compiled in line with the following international standards: International Council on Archives,ISAD(G) Second Edition, September 1999 and National Council on Archives,Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names

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Collection catalogued by Vikki Laidlaw, Hub Project Assistant, 14 April 2005 (fonds level description) and by members of Glasgow University Archive Services staff (lower level descriptions). Converted to Encoded Archival Description by Andrew Thomson, Hub Project Archivist, 22 April 2005. Edited by Gemma Tougher, Assistant Archivist (Cataloguing), 1 October 2012.