[1] Branson Harris, a Wayne County farmer, also served in three sessions of the Indiana House of Representatives (1853, 1875, and 1877).

[3][4] Addison Harris received his early education in local Quaker schools near his Wayne County home.

After college he read law for three years at the Indianapolis firm of Barbour and Howland and studied under Indiana Supreme Court Justice Samuel E.

[1][3] Harris met his wife, India Crago (1848–1948) of Connersville, Indiana, when she came to Indianapolis to attend North Western Christian University.

[8] Addison and India Harris's primary residence was located on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

[1][8] Harris was admitted to the bar in 1865 and established a law partnership with John T. Dye in Indianapolis, Indiana.

He resumed his law career in Indianapolis and in his later years served as president of the Indiana State Bar Association and as a member of Purdue University's board of trustees, among other civic activities.

[4] On November 30, 1878, a gathering of forty local attorneys that included the future U.S. President Benjamin Harrison and future U.S. Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks met in the law offices of Dye and Harris to establish the Indianapolis Bar Association.

[10] He supported the concept of workers' compensation and favored the use of arbitration boards to settle labor disputes.

[4] Harris used his connections in the state's Republican Party and his friendship with Charles Fairbanks, a U.S. senator from Indiana at that time, to secure an appointment on January 10, 1899, from President William McKinley to serve as U.S.

In addition his leadership at the law school, Harris was president of the Indiana State Bar Association (1904), and served on the University of Indianapolis's board of trustees (1899 to 1904).

[13] To save it from demolition the Town (present-day City) of Fishers, Indiana, supervised the move of Harris's summer home in Hamilton County from its original location at 96th Street and Allisonville Road to 106th Street and Eller Road (present-day Heritage Park at White River) in 1996.

The restored home is operated as a local history museum and a site for community events and private rentals.

[14][15] At India Crago Harris's bequest, a trust in honor of her husband was established in 1948 to fund a public lecture series.