Harry Rutherford was a native of Ingomar, attended New Albany High School, graduated first in his class at Wood Junior College and attended Northwestern University and the University of Missouri, majoring in journalism.
He was the longtime editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal at Tupelo, helping develop it from a weekly newspaper into a daily with 35,000 subscribers. He served in the Navy during World War II.
Rutherford was active in the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Community Development Foundation, First United Methodist Church of Tupelo where he served as a teacher and Sunday school superintendent, was active in the Tupelo Symphony and the Tupelo Community Concert Association, and in Scouting.
He was first chairman of the Tupelo Park and Recreation Commission, was responsible for the creation of Elvis Presley Park, City Park and Rockwell Youth Center. He was a founding member of North Mississippi Industrial Development Association, a founding member of Lee United Neighbors, a co-founder of Tennessee Valley Regional Housing Authority and was president of Create Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging education and spiritual development of Northeast Mississippi.
