Lorraine H. Morton facts for kids

The Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center in Evanston, Illinois.

Lorraine Hairston Morton (born December 8, 1918 – died September 8, 2018) was an American politician. She served as the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, for many years. She was mayor from 1993 to 2009.

She made history as Evanston's first African-American mayor. She was also the first mayor from the Democratic Party. In fact, she was the longest-serving mayor the city ever had! Before becoming mayor, she was a teacher and principal. She played a big part in ending segregation in Evanston's schools. This meant making sure all students, no matter their race, could learn together.

Early Life and Education

Lorraine Morton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was the youngest child in her family. Her mother, Keziah Hairston, was a schoolteacher. Her father, William Patrick Hairston, was a successful businessman. He helped start the Winston Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Lorraine earned her first college degree in education in 1938. She studied at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Later, in 1942, she received a master's degree. This degree in education was from Northwestern University.

In 1953, she moved to Evanston with her husband. His name was Dr. James T. Morton Jr. He was a clinical psychologist. He worked at Evanston Hospital. Both Lorraine and her husband taught at the Tuskegee Institute. This was before they moved to Evanston. They had one daughter and two grandchildren.

Teaching Career and School Desegregation

Before working in city government, Morton was an educator. She taught in the District 65 school system. This was from 1953 to 1989.

She started teaching in Evanston in 1953. Her first school was Foster Elementary School. At that time, it was the only elementary school for African-American students in Evanston.

Later, Morton taught at Nichols Middle School. This was from 1957 to 1966. Then she taught at Chute Middle School from 1966 to 1977. She was the first African-American teacher to work in an Evanston school outside of Foster School.

In 1977, after 25 years of teaching, Morton became a principal. She was appointed principal of Evanston's Haven Middle School. She stayed in this role until she retired from teaching in 1989. She also held a lifetime membership in the Illinois Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Public Service and City Leadership

Serving as Alderman

Lorraine Morton continued her work for the community. She agreed to serve as an alderman for Evanston's Fifth Ward. An alderman is a member of the Evanston City Council. She held this position from 1982 to 1991.

As an alderman, she worked on many important committees. These included Housing and Community Development. She also served on committees for Police Services and Planning. She helped with Human Services and Rules. Morton also worked on special groups. These groups focused on fair housing, libraries, and preventing gang activity.

Becoming Mayor of Evanston

In 1993, Morton decided to run for mayor of Evanston. Her campaign slogan was "Morton for Mayor." It featured pictures of trains. The campaign listed people who were "on board" with her.

After a close election, she won. She became Evanston's first African-American mayor. She was also the first mayor from the Democratic Party. She served as mayor for sixteen years. This was until 2009. She became Evanston's longest-serving mayor.

During her time as mayor, Morton worked to improve relationships. She wanted to connect Northwestern University with the rest of Evanston. She became good friends with Northwestern University president Henry Bienen. This helped ease tensions between the city and the university. Morton was both the mayor and a proud graduate of Northwestern.

Mayor Morton also worked with local leaders and churches. They created a "safe zone" and a "time out" period. During this time, gangs would agree to a truce. On Friday and Saturday nights, the community was invited to play basketball. This included gang members. They played at Evanston's Robert Crown Center. Morton often cheered for them from the sidelines.

Awards and Special Honors

Both of Lorraine Morton's colleges recognized her achievements. Winston-Salem State University started a scholarship in her name in 2010. It's called the Lorraine Hairston Morton Endowed Scholarship. It helps education students who are committed to community service.

Northwestern University also offers a scholarship in her name. It's for students in the Master of Science in Education Program. This program is in the School of Education and Social Policy. Northwestern also gave her an Alumni Merit Award in 1996. In 2008, they gave her an honorary doctorate degree. She also received an honorary doctorate for public service from Kendall College in Chicago.

Evanston's civic center was renamed for Morton in 2009. This was when she retired. It is now known as the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center. She was also the Vice President of the Evanston Historical Society. She received community service awards from Saint Francis Hospital of Evanston and the Evanston Arts Council.

In 2018, Shorefront created a documentary film about her. It was called "Lorraine H. Morton: A Life Worthwhile." Morton herself told her story in the film. It showed historic images and film clips. The film covered her early life, education, and career. It also showed her time as a teacher, alderman, and mayor.

Death

Lorraine Morton passed away on September 8, 2018. She was 99 years old.