R.C. Harmon, Air Force’s 1^st Judge Advocate, Dies

Washington – Retired Maj. Gen. Reginald C. Harmon of Arlington, VA, the first Judge Advocate General of the Air Force, has died at the age of 92. His death was reported Friday by his daughter, Susan Harmon Meyer, who said he had died Monday, October 19, 1992 from an auto accident in Washington.

Retired Maj. Gen. Harmon was born in 1900 on a southern Illinois farm near Olney, Ill, a son of Francis “Frank” and Mary (Persoon) Harmon. He attended a country school in Richland County and Olney Township High School, then General Harmon studied law at University of Illinois and practiced in the state for 13 years.

From 1929 to 1933, he was Mayor of Urbana, first elected to the office at the age of 29, the youngest mayor in the History of the City of Urbana, IL. General Harmon set precedent and received national recognition as a bold and progressive administrator. On January 20, 1932, in one of the first such actions of its kind in the country, he ordered a five-day business shutdown to avert a panic run on local banks after two banking institutions in adjacent Champaign had closed. With few exceptions, like drug stores and food stores, all local business closed while he persuaded residents not to withdraw money or to redeposit it.

He authored legal texts, was a speaker and writer, was chosen as a U.S. delegate to the First United Nations Congress In Geneva, Switzerland, and was the recipient of numerous awards and decorations.

An officer in the Air Force reserves, he was called to active duty in World War II and performed legal duties. After the war, on September 8, 1948, President Harry Truman appointed him to the newly created post of Air Force judge advocate general and promoted him to major general. He served for 12 years and headed a legal department of 1400 lawyers when he retired in 1960.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 55 years, Doris Vance Harmon, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL – Monday, October 26, 1992