Hardison was a Freemason and Shriner who served in the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1946 in the Pacific War.
He founded the Humphrey-Hardison Oil Company and was a member of several municipal organizations in his hometown of Deep Run, North Carolina.
[2] Hardison subsequently occupied the seat representing the fifth senatorial district from Lenoir County.
[7] In July 1981, Hardison co-sponsored a bill allowing the Office of State Budget and Management the power to oversee public school finances.
[10] Hardison filed to contest the Democratic Party nomination for the 1988 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election in January,[11] and engaged in a debate on collection of monetary damages owed to accident victims in civil cases.