[11][12] During her time at Howard University, she was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta — a historically Black sorority that had been founded at Patricia's alma mater in 1913.

[15][1] In order to be better involved in civil rights work, she transferred to American University in 1949, where she would ultimately receive her Master's Degree.

[2] In 1965, Harris was honored in absentia with the Alumni Achievement Award of George Washington University Law School.

[1][2][4] She said of her appointment, "I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the 'first Negro woman,' because it implies we were not considered before.

[5] She resigned as Dean a month later when Howard University President James E. Cheek refused to support her strong stand against student protests.

[21][22] Upon her appointment to the Chase Manhattan board, she observed: "The demands on the small pool of Blacks allowed to develop in the last 300 years is too great.

[1] At her confirmation hearing, Senator William Proxmire questioned whether Harris came from a background of too much wealth and power to be an effective HUD Secretary.

[6] By this time in Harris' life, she had established herself as not only a recognized leader for civil rights, but also as a prominent corporate lawyer and businesswoman.

[1] She served as HUD Secretary from 1977 to 1979,[10] reorganizing the department and shifting from knocking down slums to rehabilitating the neighborhoods through millions of dollars of funding and her Neighborhood Strategy Program for rebuilding, Urban Development Action Grants for luring businesses back into cities, and an expanded Urban Homesteading Plan.

"[18] As a result of her success leading HUD, Carter appointed Harris as the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, the largest Cabinet agency, in 1979.

Harris remained as Secretary of the renamed Department of Health and Human Services until Carter left office in 1981.

[18] Harris offered a number of critiques of her own work in these cabinet positions, including that enforcement of civil rights fell off while she was head of HHS, that Congress called her responses to requests for policy changes that would lower health care costs sluggish, and that many of her programs ended up doing little for her hometown of Washington, D.C.[18] On the other hand, Office of Management and Budget Associate Director Dennis Green described her approach as "tough-minded, intelligent, quick to grasp the intricacies of her agency, and she went after what she wanted.

[14] Among several factors leading to the loss, including her brusque, no-nonsense means of communication, some scholars have listed that Washington, D.C., had never elected a female mayor.

[26] Established in 1987, the program provides a stipend for a summer internship, along with mentoring, academic, and service learning opportunities; it has so far served over 200 Fellows.

[26][27][28] On January 27, 2000, the United States Postal Service's released its 23rd commemorative stamp in its Black Heritage Series, honoring Harris.

[1][29] The stamp was designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, and 150 million copies were produced in recognition of Black History Month.