John Morton-Finney facts for kids

John Morton-Finney (June 25, 1889 – January 28, 1998) was an amazing American civil rights activist, lawyer, and educator. He earned an incredible eleven college degrees, including five law degrees!

He spent most of his life teaching and practicing law. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army from 1911 to 1914. He was part of the 24th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He also served in France during World War I.

Morton-Finney taught languages at Fisk University and Lincoln University. Later, he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he taught in the Indianapolis Public Schools for 47 years. He was one of the first teachers at Crispus Attucks High School when it opened in 1927. He even became the head of its foreign language department.

He also taught at Shortridge High School and other schools in Indianapolis. John Morton-Finney became a lawyer in Indiana in 1935. He was allowed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972.

When he stopped practicing law on his 107th birthday in 1996, he was thought to be the oldest practicing lawyer in the United States. When he passed away in 1998, he was Indiana's oldest veteran. He received many awards, including one from the Chief Justice of the United States. He was also named a Kentucky Colonel and received a Sagamore of the Wabash award from the Governor of Indiana.

A Look at His Early Life

John Morton-Finney was born on June 25, 1889, in Uniontown, Kentucky. His father was a former slave, and his mother was free. He was one of seven children.

When John was 14, his mother passed away in 1903. His father sent the children to live with their grandfather on his farm in Missouri.

Before joining the U.S. Army in 1911, Morton-Finney studied at Lincoln College. After his army service, he went back to Lincoln College. There, he met and married Pauline Angeline Ray.

Pauline was a French teacher and a graduate of Cornell University. They moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1922. They later had a daughter named Gloria Ann. John and Pauline were married for over 52 years.

His Time in the Military

Morton-Finney's education was paused when he joined the U.S. Army in 1911. He became a member of the 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment. These were African American soldiers, famously known as Buffalo Soldiers.

He served in the Philippines. He was promoted to corporal and sergeant. However, he was not allowed to become an officer because of racial discrimination. He was honorably discharged in 1914.

Morton-Finney also served as an infantryman in the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I in 1918. During World War II, he helped manage the rationing tickets program for African Americans in Indianapolis.

A Lifetime of Learning

John Morton-Finney loved learning throughout his entire life. He earned eleven academic degrees! These degrees were in law, French, mathematics, and history.

After his military service in the Philippines in 1914, he returned to Lincoln College. There, he continued his studies and met his wife, Pauline. His education was interrupted again by World War I, but he kept learning after returning home.

He earned five law degrees in total. His first was from Lincoln College in 1935. He also earned law degrees from Indiana Law School and Indiana University. His last law degree was from Martin University in 1995.

He also earned master's degrees from Indiana University. One was in education (1925) and another in French (1933). He earned these while teaching at Crispus Attucks High School. He also had undergraduate degrees from Lincoln Institute, Iowa State University, and Butler University.

Later in life, he received honorary doctorates from Lincoln University (1985) and Butler University (1989). Morton-Finney could speak French, Latin, Greek, and Spanish. He also knew some German and Portuguese.

His Amazing Career

Teaching and Leading in Schools

Morton-Finney taught languages at Fisk University and Lincoln University. In 1922, he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to teach in the Indianapolis Public Schools. He spent 47 years as a teacher and school leader in Indianapolis.

He started at Shortridge High School. He was one of the first teachers at the new Crispus Attucks High School when it opened in 1927. Attucks High School was the only public high school in Indianapolis just for African Americans at the time.

Morton-Finney became the head of Attucks's foreign language department. He taught Greek, Latin, German, Spanish, and French. He also taught junior high mathematics and social studies at other schools. He even served as a school principal.

He taught students important life skills and helped them get college scholarships. To honor his almost five decades of service, the school district's downtown building was renamed the Dr. John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services.

Practicing Law

Besides his long teaching career, Morton-Finney also practiced law in Indiana for many years. He became a member of the Bar of the Indiana Supreme Court in 1935. He was also admitted to the Bar of the U.S. District Court in 1941.

At 83 years old, Morton-Finney was allowed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972. He was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame in 1991. When he retired from law at 107, he was believed to be the oldest practicing lawyer in the United States.

Later Years and Honors

Because of his African family history, 90-year-old Morton-Finney was crowned Adeniran I. This means he was named Paramount Chief of Yoruba Descendants in Indiana. This ceremony happened at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis in 1979. His family ancestors came from Ethiopia to what is now Badagry, Nigeria. They were later enslaved in America.

At 96, Morton-Finney received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Lincoln University in 1985. He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Butler University in 1989, when he was 100 years old.

His Legacy and Passing

John Morton-Finney passed away on January 28, 1998, at the age of 108. He was buried with full military honors at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the time of his death, he was Indiana's oldest veteran.

During his life, Morton-Finney was honored for his public service. He received awards from the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Indianapolis Public Schools, and Harvard University. He also received honors from the Indianapolis City Council and the Mayor of Indianapolis.

He was made a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky. He also received a Sagamore of the Wabash award from the Governor of Indiana. He received distinguished alumni awards from Indiana University and was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame.

The Indianapolis Bar Association gives awards to lawyers in his honor. Butler University also gives an award in his name to students who promote diversity and inclusion.

Awards and Honors

• Crowned Adeniran I, Paramount Chief of Yoruba Descendants in Indiana (1979).
• The Indianapolis Public Schools renamed its Center for Education Services to the Dr. John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services. This was to honor his 47 years of service.
• Received Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award (1983).
• Received the Distinguished Graduate, School of Education, Award from the Indiana University Alumni Association (1983).
• Honored at a White House dinner by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
• Received a Kentucky Colonel Award (1991).
• Inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame (1991).
• Received a Sagamore of the Wabash Award.
• Received an honorary doctorate degree from Martin University (1991).
• Named an honorary member of the U.S. 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association (1995).
• In 1998, Congresswoman Julia Carson gave a tribute to Morton-Finney in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• The Indianapolis Bar Association created the Dr. John Morton-Finney Jr. Award for Excellence in Legal Education in his honor (1998).
• A residential house on the IUPUI campus was named in his honor in 2014.
• Butler University's Dr. John Morton-Finney Leadership Award is given to students who show leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion.