J. R. Harris
Joined Atlas Obscura in 2026
J. Robert “J.R.” Harris has been an Explorers Club member since 1993, and has been exploring and backpacking long distance for more than 60 years in some of the most remote and inhospitable wilderness areas in the world, unsupported and mostly alone. He has served on the Club’s Board of Directors and is currently the Chair of the DEI Committee. In 2021 Harris was the recipient of the Leif Erikson Exploration History Award from the Exploration Museum in Iceland “in recognition of his lifetime of exploration, as well as his tireless efforts to promote diversity in exploration.”
When not in the wilderness, Harris is Founder and President of JRH Marketing Services. Established in 1975, it is the oldest African American-owned marketing research and insights consulting firm in the United States. In 2016 he was elected to the Market Research Hall of Fame.
