Fred Harman was the most widely known living western artist when the Cowboy Artists of America was organized in June 1965. While Harman was unable to join Charlie Dye, John Hampton, Joe Beeler and George Phippen in the meeting where the CAA was officially founded, he held the special designation of “charter member.”

Harman was born in Missouri but moved to a ranch in Colorado at two months old. The west was not only in his blood but his soul. The future would take him to distant locales, but he would always return to the ranch setting in Colorado.

While in his teens, Harman moved to Kansas City, where he his appetite for drawing was whetted. He worked as an illustrator for years on various projects such as Red Ryder and Little Beaver, the comic strip. He worked as a commercial illustrator by day and painted at night.

Harman also completed many assignments from government agencies, such as goodwill missions on behalf of the United States. He was a member of the Society of Illustrators and a founding member of the National Cartoonist Society.

In 1962, Harman retired from drawing Red Ryder and painted Western American art until his death in 1982.