Harry J. Carruthers
Portland, Oregon
 
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According to William Hansen, Harry Carruthers was the son of Joseph J. Carruthers Jr., Robert Hope-Jones'superintendent and "right hand man," and later, the superintendent at Kimball Organs. When the Hope-Jones operation was still going in Elmira, New York Joseph sent young Harry to work at Steere Organs in Massachusetts to avoid a too-personal association with Hope-Jones. Harry was very proud of the reeds he produced there, particularly in the Springfield Municipal Auditorium.
 
Harry then migrated to California to work under Stanley Williams at Robert Morton. After the war (WW I) and service in France he had a short stint at Kimball, but soon moved to Portland, OR as service technician for the Jensen and Von Herbeg theatre chain.
 
The demise of organ music in the theatres and the depression caused a major change in career -- operation of the new parking meter department for Portland. He also maintained some organs, including the great E.M. Skinner in the Civic Auditorium (now in Portland's Alpenrose Dairy).
 
According to William Hansen, "I had the great pleasure of doing considerable work with Harry Carruthers in the fifties and sixties, and gleaned this information first hand."