group photo at gala
John Harris (center) at the 47th Annual Cal Aggie Alumni Association Awards Gala with friends from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Harris Farms: (left to right) Dr. Carrie Finno, Dr. John Pascoe, Dr. Jeanne Bowers-Lepore, Jonny Hilvers, Dean Emeritus Dr. Michael Lairmore

Remembering John C. Harris, Visionary Leader and UC Davis Alumnus

  • by Amy Young and Tom Hinds

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is deeply saddened by the passing of John C. Harris, a distinguished UC Davis alumnus, agricultural innovator, and devoted supporter of animal health and education. Harris, who passed away at the age of 81, earned his degree in agricultural production from UC Davis and went on to become a transformative figure in California’s agricultural and equine industries. As chairman and CEO of Harris Farms, Inc., his leadership helped build one of the most respected names in farming, ranching, and Thoroughbred breeding on the West Coast.

A leader in the California cattle and beef industry, he helmed the Harris Feeding Company and Harris Ranch Beef Company, California’s largest beef feeding and processing operation, until 2018.

As successful Thoroughbred breeders, the Harris family has been integral to the California Thoroughbred industry for more than 40 years. Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division has produced Eclipse Award and Breeders’ Cup winners and raised the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champion, California Chrome. Harris chaired the California Horse Racing Board for several years and served five terms as the president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

A former UC Davis Foundation Board trustee and lifetime member of the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA), Harris also served on the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council and the Center for Equine Health’s Advisory Board. Faculty and students have been welcomed at his facilities for learning purposes, and he has supported UC Davis equine teaching and research programs. Harris received the UC Davis Award of Distinction in 1992, and the prestigious Jerry W. Fielder Memorial Award from CAAA, which recognizes service to the alumni association, the UC Davis Foundation, and the university, in 2020.

Harris’s legacy lives on through the many lives he touched, from students and faculty to the animals that benefited from his dedication.

For more on his life and legacy, read the full tributes from Harris Farms and BloodHorse.