TULLIS, RICHARD BARCLAY (12 July 1913 - 31 Oct. 1999) was an industrialist and civic leader who headed Harris Corp. and University Circle Inc. Tullis was born in Western Springs, IL, to Ester Izelah (Gilmore) and Lauren Barclay Tullis. He graduated in 1934 from Principia College in Elsah, IL, where he studied mathematics and physics. Tullis worked for two years with Dictograph Products Co. and another two years with Schick Dry Shaver Inc. prior to joining Miller Printing and Machinery Co. in Pittsburgh. He was president of the company from 1951 until he came to Cleveland in 1956 as vice president of what was then Harris-Seybold and later HARRIS CORP.. He became president in 1961, chief executive in 1968 and chairman in 1972. In 1978 Harris Corp. moved from Cleveland to Melbourne, Fla. and Tullis made his home in Vero Beach. Upon retirement in 1980, Tullis returned to Cleveland when asked to be chairman of the board of trustees and executive committee for UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, INC., an organization he headed until 1989. Tullis returned to Vero Beach in 1995.
During his time with Harris Corp., the business evolved from a domestic company with 1,200 employees and $41 million in sales of printing presses and paper cutters to an international company of 25,000 employees with more than $2 billion in sales of electronic communications equipment. Despite the demands of the company, Tullis took a strong interest in the redevelopment of the city. In the aftermath of the Hough riots of 1966, he worked with the HOUGH AREA DEVELOPMENT CORP. - contributing seed money to construct housing units for families on Blaine and Wade Park Avenues. As chairman of University Circle Inc., he was involved in the construction of 1,100 housing units for low-income and disabled residents. Tullis also helped to establish Midtown Corridor Inc. and St. Vincent Quadrangle Inc. to revitalize neighborhoods near downtown. Tullis received numerous awards for his charitable work, including: the Charles Eisenman award from the JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION; Businessman of the Year from the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, and Business Statesman of the Year from the Harvard Business School Club of Cleveland. He was a trustee of the CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, BALDWIN WALLACE COLLEGE, the URBAN LEAGUE and the CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND.
Tullis married Chaille Handy in 1935 and had three children: Sally (De Barcza), Barclay and Garner. He died in his home in Vero Beach, FL. and was cremated and interred at LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.