Joseph W. Morris (educator) facts for kids

Joseph W. Morris (born August 26, 1850 – died September 13, 1913) was an important lawyer and teacher in South Carolina. He was the leader, or principal, of Allen University for many years in the late 1800s.

Joseph W. Morris: A Life of Learning and Leadership

Joseph W. Morris was born in Charleston, South Carolina on August 26, 1850. His parents, John B. Morris and Grace Morris, were free citizens. He went to a private school in Charleston taught by Simeon Beard.

After the American Civil War, he attended public schools. While he was a student, he worked in printing. He worked for R. Bruce Elliot at the Charleston Leader and later for Richard H. Cain at the Missionary Record.

Education and Early Career

One of his teachers at the Normal school of Charleston was Francis Lewis Cardozo. In 1868, Joseph Morris enrolled at Howard University. He graduated in June 1875.

That same year, he returned to South Carolina. He joined the law school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Franklin J. Moses, Sr., who was the chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, helped Morris financially. He was also one of Morris's teachers and mentors.

In 1876, Morris was chosen to be a commissioner of public schools in Charleston. He was also nominated to join the state legislature. However, he turned down both offers to finish his studies. Morris graduated with high honors in December 1876. He then passed the South Carolina bar exam and started working as a lawyer.

Leading Educational Institutions

Morris worked as a lawyer for a short time. Then, he became the principal of Payne Institute. He held this position for four years. In 1880, Payne Institute joined with Allen University.

At Allen University, Morris became a professor of mathematics and ancient languages. He also taught in the Normal and Preparatory department. He was the secretary and an instructor in the law department.

On February 14, 1884, Morris married Lizzy Perry in Georgetown, South Carolina. In 1885, he was elected president of Allen University.

Politics and Later Life

In the 1890 election for governor, Morris led a group of African-American Republicans. They supported a Democrat named Alexander Cheves Haskell for governor. There was no Republican candidate in that election.

Haskell's opponent, Ben Tillman, wanted to stop African-Americans from voting. Many white Republicans supported Haskell. However, other African-American Republicans disagreed with Morris. They opposed both Tillman and Haskell. This was because Haskell had been involved in stopping African-American votes in the 1876 election.

In 1893, Morris was given an important role. He was named an honorary vice president of the educational department for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This was by the United States Commission of Education.

He remained president of Allen University until at least 1895. He was also a vice president there in the early 1900s. Joseph W. Morris passed away on September 13, 1913, in Columbia, South Carolina. He was a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.