Earlham College

A four-year letterman for the Earlham men’s soccer team, Paul Harris continued to play for five years following graduation until a vicious accident on the field ended his playing days, and nearly his life. Upon recovery, he has devoted his life to making soccer a safer sport. Founder of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), Harris has refereed more than 2,500 matches over 25 years at the youth, high school, collegiate and professional levels. Inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996, he served as the AYSO’s director of officiating for seven years and as a National Referee Commission member for 10 years. Harris was also instrumental in the inclusion of soccer into the Special Olympics. An author of 25 books, Harris worked as the publisher for Soccer for Americans, at the time of induction, and lived with his wife, Cynthia, in Eureka, Calif.