As a member of the Disciples of Christ and as a pupil of William C. Bower, Dr. Harrison Clyde Munro emerged as a product of the progressive movement of the early to mid-twentieth century. He served as a missionary to Alaska, an ordained minister for the Disciples, an editor and curriculum writer for the Disciples, an editor and writer for the International Journal of Religious Education, a director for multiple initiatives by the International Council of Religious Education, a book author, and finally as a college professor at Texas Christian University and Jarvis Christian College.
He earned his bachelor degree from Hiram College, a Master of Arts degree in psychology from Spokane University, a master of religious education degree from the College of the Bible at Transylvania University, and an honorary doctorate awarded by Jarvis Christian College.
Through his writings, fieldwork, and teaching, Munro put into practice the predominant theories of progressive Christian education.
His parents, Erastus and Anna, were lumberers and homesteaders in northern Michigan, and Harry spent his childhood helping his parents with the farm, learning in the one-room schoolhouse where his mother was their teacher , and attending the Methodist Church C. Munro, , p. The Munro household modeled Christian living, which left a lasting impression on Harry and set him on a course devoted to Christian service Heron, , p. Young Harry dreamed of a life beyond the farm, and when he was nineteen, his uncle Merritt Vanneter from Hiram, Ohio, invited Harry to return with him to pursue more opportunities for education Gebhard, , pp.
Harry gladly accepted, left behind the homestead, and after completing his preparatory work, he enrolled in Hiram College, a school founded by the Disciples of Christ and known for its claim to President James A.
