- Plays trumpet occasionally to annoy his wife.
- Was a Senior Speechwriter to the US Congress leadership, as well as later Chief Speechwriter for a US national political party.
- Was the first to lead official US Government and Department of Defense delegations to many of the new nations of the former Soviet Union, as well as the first to provide proliferation initiatives to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Croatia, Macedonia, among other nations.
- Founded the Swedish-American Cultural Union - a professional organization in Washington, DC designed to promote U.S.-Swedish cooperation and interests.
- Won recognition for his evil laughing ability as a first prize winner for Laughing Competition-Oregon.
- Harlan has personally restored his 211 year old Federal townhouse to its original glory, creating one of the most beautiful historic homes in his region.
- Harlan was honored by the King of Sweden, Carl-Gustav, who presented him with Sweden's Bi-centennial Medal for furthering relations between the people of Sweden and the United States.
- Actor Michael Douglas and Harlan were classmates at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Harlan has traveled in every country in Europe, as well as every newly independent country in the former Soviet Union, and each the former Yugoslavian Balkan nations, not to mention each of the new Baltic nations. In his 6 lengthy adventures in India he has explored the northernmost Himalayan (Tibetan) districts of Ladakh and as far south as India's southernmost point at Trivandrum. Harlan has lived in Stockholm (Sweden), in the southern Swedish university city of Lund, in Vienna (Austria), in Nicosia (Cyprus), and in Bucharest (Romania).
- Harlan won a 2011 TIVA Peer Award for Best Dramatic Actor (Male), for his lead role in "The Conductor." TIVA is the Television, Internet, and Video Association, headquartered in Washington, DC. He received this major award at the National Press Club on November 19, 2011.
- Looking forward to enhanced creativity in the film/cinema world, Harlan has endowed the HARLAN J STRAUSS VISITING PROFESSORSHIP IN CINEMA STUDIES at the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON. Its 2016 inaugural recipients of the Strauss Visiting Professorships were Director/Producers Neil Kopp and Kelly Reichardt.
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