Background
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 17, 1880 to Standard Oil heir Lamon V. Harkness.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 17, 1880 to Standard Oil heir Lamon V. Harkness.
In 1918 his personal yacht was taken by the United States Navy, becoming United States Ship Wakiva II (SP-160) and was credited with sinking 3 German U-boats during World War I. sued the United States government in 1918 because he did not believe that he was adequately compensated for the value of his yacht. He died of influenza in 1919, at his home, 270 Park Avenue, New York - a short four years following the death of his father Lamon V. In 1918, Harry commissioned the prestigious Schmieg/Hungate/Kotzian furniture manufacturer to exclusively create the Artcase for his Steinway Model B from Steinway & Sons. The piano was discovered in a mansion in 2008 and has been fully restored.
Following " unexpected death the facility was sold to real estate developers.
Harry led a group of investors who bought the Sheepshead Bay Race Track, a thoroughbred horse racing facility they converted to use as an auto racing track. financed the building of many early airplanes. As a noted racer of the day, he was retroactively awarded the 1902 American Automobile Association National Championship in 1951.
1902 was the first year of American Automobile Association sanctioned racing. One of Harry"s more famous races was against Henry Ford.