Solomon Harge Sr.

Solomon Harge was born January 1, 1933. He was the oldest of 10 children born to Caroline Harge and Onnie Harge,Sr. of Blytheville, Arkansas. Solomon accepted Christ 50+ years ago. He was married to his loving wife Dorothy Harge for 69 years. Solomon was called home peacefully to the Lord on March 29, 2022.

Life Reflections

Solomon was educated in the Cleveland school system. While attending John Hay High School he accelerated scholastically, served on Student Council, played basketball (3-letters) and served as the Director of Basketball. While at John Hay he met the love of his life, Dorothy Jackson. He married his high school sweetheart, and immediately was drafted into the United States Army to serve his country and was stationed in Germany. During this period, he served as a cook, received the Occupational Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. Upon his return, he attended Kent State University and later Dyke College (now Spenserian College) as an honors student with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a paralegal certificate.

In 1959 he founded Greater Cleveland Toastmasters 2825-an international public speaking and leadership organization. It was the first African American Toastmasters in the city of Cleveland and the first to allow women to join.

In 1968 a visionary/committed pastor Odie M. Hoover and a focus group of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church dedicated to advocacy and economic empowerment of Greater Cleveland’s low-income residents set out to discuss a vision of how they could better serve the community. The Consumer Protection Association grew out of this focus group with Solomon Harge Sr. as its director. In later years, he would say that he started with just a legal pad and a vision for helping people as much as he could. The Consumer Protection Association provided counseling services of Money management, educational/financial literacy, Housing/rent payment, Bankruptcy/debtor education, Utility bill management, Emergency Assistance Fund and a second chance checking program to more than 2 million Greater Cleveland families in its 47-year history. Solomon says his organization’s mission was to assist individuals/families regardless of income who were vulnerable and/or financially challenged to meet their basic needs. His goal was “to change lives, one consumer at a time”

Solomon served on the following organizations: the Dominion East Ohio Advisory Committee, United Way Services Agency, Executive and Consumer Federation of America, the board of Sunny Acres Foundation, Community Guidance Inc., Consumer Advisory Council to the United States, Underwriters Laboratories, Ford Motor Company, and Ohio Bell. He was also nominated to Who’s Who in Black Cleveland.

“I’m moved to help people because I’ve been helped myself. Some people are in the business of taking, give me, give me, but once they get on their feet they forget. However, I will never forget.”

Solomon Harge

“If you teach a person how to manage money, they can live a debt free life. They will not be someone’s economic slave.”

Solomon Harge

Solomon was the eldest in the family of 11 siblings. He departed this life after complications with his heart. He was preceded in death by his parents Caroline and Onnie Harge Sr: Siblings Betty Harge, Eugene Harge, Christine Harge, Onnie Harge Jr and Half-sister Rosie Lee Jones. He leaves to cherish his precious memory: his wife, Dorothy Harge; daughter, Felicia Harge; son, Solomon Harge Jr.; granddaughter, Nakia Harge; brother, Prentiss Harge; sisters, Malvina Fowler; Dorothy Mae Gillis; Martha Ann Bradley, Rosie Nell Scott, and a host of nieces, nephews, and family friends.