Thomas Harris (born April 11, 1940) is an American author of crime novels, most notably The Silence of the Lambs, which was made into a film of the same title starring Jodie Foster as trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins in an Oscar-winning portrayal of serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. As of 2008, Harris has published four novels featuring Lecter and one other. All of his novels have been adapted into films, with five films being based on his Hannibal books (Red Dragon has been adapted twice).
Thomas Harris was the first mayor of Victoria, British Columbia, serving from 1862 to 1865.
Harris came to Victoria in 1858, at the height of the Cariboo gold rush. He ran a slaughterhouse for a time, then became a butcher shortly afterward and made his fortune.
A jovial man who had an opinion on everything and wasn't afraid to tell whoever would listen, he was a likely candidate for election in 1862 when the town's father decided to incorporate the town. At election time, Harris won by "forest of hands" amid a group of 600 men. During his second official council meeting, the 300 pound (136 kg) Harris had a chair collapse under his own weight.
Harris Green, an area within Victoria, is named after him.
Thomas Harris (died 18 February 1974) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician.
A native of Clane, Co Kildare, Harris fought with the Maynooth contingent in 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.
A farmer, he represented the constituencies of Kildare from 1927 to 1937, Kildare from 1937 to 1948, and Kildare from 1948 to 1957.
Harris was related to Matt Harris, MP for Galway East from 1885 to 1890.
Thomas Harris was an early English balloon pioneer who was killed in an accident in 1824. He was flying a hydrogen balloon from Vauxhall, London with his fiancée when the release valve got stuck in the open position, thus releasing the hydrogen. In an attempt to prevent the balloon falling, he threw out all the ballast and even their clothes. In the end, he jumped to his death, making the balloon light enough to save his fiancée's life.
This event was commemorated on a late 19th century collecting card depicting historical events in ballooning and parachuting.
The second Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Thomas Harris was born in East Whiteland, Chester County, PA, on 3 January 1784. He came of fine old colonial stock; his father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. On 19 April 1809, Dr. Harris graduated from the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was appointed a surgeon in the U.S. Navy on 20 July 1812. On 22 September of that year he was ordered to the USS Wasp then commanded by Jacob Jones. He thus took part in the celebrated engagement between the Wasp and HMS Frolic on 18 October, in which the Frolic was captured. Later in the day USS Wasp and her prize was taken by the British ship of the line HMS Poictiers and carried into Bermuda. The officers and crew of the Wasp were shortly returned to the United States. Dr. Harris was one of those who received the thanks of Congress and the medal awarded to all officers who took part in this action.
His most important subsequent service was at Philadelphia. While serving in this city he oversaw the construction of the Naval Hospital Philadelphia; he served as the president of the naval board of medical examiners; and he organized the first postgraduate medical school to give instruction in naval medicine.
He was one of the best known and most skillful surgeons of his day, and many distinguished civilians came to him for relief. In 1832,he operated on President Andrew Jackson and extracted a bullet that the president had received in a duel nearly 20 years before.
In April 1844, Surgeon Harris was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) and served in this capacity until 30 September 1853. During his tenure, he brought about improvements in the organization of BUMED and was much interested in the character and qualifications of the young physicians entering the Medical Corps of the Navy.
He died on 4 March 1861 in Philadelphia, PA.
