HAROLD ROBERT HARNEY. Included among the members of the 
younger generation of businessmen who are forging rapidly 
to the forefront in various lines of activity is Harold 
R. Harney, manager of the Gary branch of Armour & Company, 
packers. A product of the agricultural regions of 
Illinois, it was natural that he should early gain a 
knowledge of live stock, and as the years have passed 
this knowledge has been ripened and developed by training 
and experience, so that today he is accounted one of the 
valued officials of the company which he represents and 
with which he has been identified since 1918. Mr. Harney 
was born near Jacksonville, Illinois, July 27, 1895, and 
is a son of Robert Lincoln and Mayme (Massey) Harney. 
His paternal grandfather, Milton Harney, was born in 
Virginia, of an old Colonial family, and in young manhood 
came to Illinois and settled on an unimproved farm in 
Morgan County, where he developed a good property and 
became one of the substantial farmers and stock raisers 
of his community and a man held in high esteem as a 
public-spirited citizen. He and his wife have been 
deceased many years and are buried in the cemetery at 
Jacksonville. Robert Lincoln Harney was born on his 
father’s farm in Morgan County and received his early 
education in the country schools and the public school 
at Jacksonville, this being supplemented by a course in 
a business college. For many years he has been one of 
the progressive and prosperous farmers and raisers of 
livestock in Morgan County and an advocate of development 
along modern lines. As a friend of education he has 
served capably as a member of the local school board 
and likewise has been a good roads enthusiast. Fraternally 
he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
and the Modern Woodmen of America, in both of which he 
has numerous friends. Mr. Harney married Miss Mayme Massey, 
daughter of William Massey, of Jacksonville, an early 
stock raiser and farmer of the Jacksonville community. 
She was educated in the public school there and has been 
active in the work of the Christian Church. There were 
seven children in the family: Edna May, a graduate nurse, 
attached to Barnes Hospital, Saint Louis; Harold R., of 
this review; Leila, the wife of Claude Jewsbury, of 
Jacksonville, Illinois; Miss Ruth, .of the same city; 
Amy, the wife of Russell Harvey, of Bloomington, Illinois; 
Merle H., of Bloomington; and Miss Mary Elaine, of 
Jacksonville. Harold R. Harvey received his early education 
in the public schools and a country school near Jacksonville, 
following which he pursued a course in the Whipple Academy 
department of the Illinois College at Jacksonville. On 
leaving school he secured a position with the Famous 
Barr Company, of Saint Louis, Missouri, with which he 
remained for four years, but resigned January 2, 1918, 
to take a position with Armour & Company, at Decatur, 
Illinois, where he was assigned to the sales department. 
He remained in that capacity for two years, at the end of 
which time he was promoted assistant manager and acted as 
such for four years, when, in 1924, he was transferred to 
the Terre Haute branch and made manager of Morris & Company, 
a subsidiary, for four months. Mr. Harney was then sent to 
Bloomington, Illinois, as manager of the branch house of 
Armour & Company, remaining one year, and then returned 
to Decatur, Illinois, where he continued as manager for 
one and one-half years. His next position was that of 
manager of Morris & Company at Indianapolis, where he 
continued for a year, being then sent to Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, as assistant district manager of Armour 
& Company for six months. For about sixteen months he 
served on the superintendent’s staff in the home offices 
at the Chicago Stock Yards, and in 1929 came to Gary as 
manager of the Armour & Company branch, a capacity in 
which he has since served. This is one of the largest branch 
houses in the United States, and in addition to doing 
the normal business of such a branch, manufacture much 
fresh and smoked sausage and give employment to about 
fifty men, utilizing a fleet of six huge automobile 
trucks. Included with the Gary branch under Mr. 
Harney’s supervision and management is the Hammond branch. 
As will be noted, Mr. Library has advanced rapidly 
with his company and is known as one of the best 
informed and best qualified men in his line in this
 section, his experience having covered a wide area 
and numerous positions where he has been able to gather 
his knowledge of the meat packing and slaughtering industry 
at first hand. He is a valued member of the Gary 
Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary 
Club and the Cressmoor Country Club, and belongs to 
Stephen Decatur Lodge No. 979, A. F. and A. M. 
In political allegiance he is a Republican, but has 
found no time for politics, save to exercise his 
franchise as a good citizen at the polls in voting 
for good men and beneficial measures. He belongs to 
the Christian Church. During the World war he was 
not called for service, but did his full share in 
all the drives and patriotic activities. On September 
18, 1913, at Saint Louis, Missouri, Mr. Harney 
was united in marriage with Miss Dorothy Deane Kitner, 
daughter of Edward N. and Mollie (Letton) Kitner, 
both deceased, the former of whom was for years a 
prominent farmer and stock raiser of Jacksonville, 
Illinois. He died in 1927 and his wife in 1913, and 
both are buried in the Jacksonville Cemetery. Mrs. 
Harney was educated in the public schools and has 
been active in the Christian Church. Mr. and Mrs. 
Harney have one daughter: Dorothy Deane, born June 
24, 1914, a graduate of the Horace Mann High School, 
class of 1931.