Morris, John A.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Morris, John Albert, was one of the most widely known Americans of his time; prominent in the communities of New York City and New Orleans, a noted promotor of fine breeds of horses and the -builder of the great Morris Park race track. Although the proprietor of several splendid estates in different parts of the country, Mr. Morris always regarded Throgs Neck, on the Sound, in Westchester, N. Y., with special veneration, where, moreover, his father and grandfather had resided before him. Mr. Morris was descended from an English family of prominence and refinement. His great-grandfather, the Rev. John Morris, was chaplain to the Duke of Bedford in the middle of the 18th century, holding the livings of Lilly Milton, Bryant and Woburn in Herfordshire and Bedfordshire, the grandfather of John A. Morris, William Powell Morris, came to the United States in 1820 and bought land on Throgs Neck. Mr. Morris' father, Francis Morris, was connected with various mercantile interests in New York City, one time being identified with a line of steamers which carried the mails from New York to San Francisco by way of Colon and the Isthmus of Panama. Taking much interest in a gentleman's way in the breeding of blooded horses, he formed an association in 1856 with Mr. Ten Brock, which is famous in the history of American turf. It was the firm of Morris & Ten Brock that first took American racers to England. He was also one of the founders of Jerome Park. Francis Morris resided on Throgs Neck until his death in 1886. John A. Morris was born in New Jersey, July, 1836. His early education was received under private tutors, and he was graduated from Harvard Scientific school, Summa cum laude, and at the head of the class of 1856 when but 20 years old. He was married in England in 1857 to Cora, daughter of Judge Alfred Hennen, of New Orleans. The Hennen family was at that period one of the wealthiest and, both politically and socially, one of the most prominent in the state of Louisiana. Their country seat, in St. Tammany, was an estate miles in area. Of this great plantation Mr. Morris became joint proprietor with his wife. Himself born to wealth, he lavished, says a New Orleans writer, many thousand of dollars upon the houses and grounds, placed fine horses in the stables, imported pheasants for its forest growths, and had deer caught and turned loose in its woods, and then practically turned over the property to his relatives and friends for their pleasure. Although retaining his northern home on Throgs Neck, and indeed largely increasing his landed interests there, Mr. Morris, after his marriage, spent much of his time in New Orleans, and soon became a conspicuous figure in that city. After the war, when, as a matter of essential and indeed beneficent public policy, the state of Louisiana chartered the Louisiana State Lottery, he invested in that enterprise, and by the force of his character and ability eventually became its controlling spirit. The obligations thus assumed were perhaps as great as any American private citizen has ever sustained. Possessed already of very great wealth and free from all desire of larger accumulation for its own sake, entirely simple in his life and tastes, and temperamentally disinclined to special public prominence, Mr. Morris, had he consulted selfish or timid convenience, might well have preferred to retire from this connection, when the issues involving so much fanaticism, bitterness and defamation arose. But his was not a nature to withdraw weakly under such stress from a trust undertaken in circumstances of complete public approbation from whose conduct he had derived personal profit and to whose continued exercise he deemed himself bound by considerations of loyalty to his associates and the state of Louisiana. In this association, as in all the other enterprises and concerns of his life, Mr. Morris' career was marked throughout by a never-questioned integrity, entire conscientiousness, and great liberality. By the citizens of New Orleans, as well as by the public of that city generally, his name is held in honored and affectionate remembrance. Mr. Morris was a firm believer in the future of New Orleans, and was actively connected with many of its local interests. He was the first to begin the erection of modern high buildings in this city and the first man to believe it to be possible to build fireproof skyscrapers in New Orleans, and he was the pioneer in this development, backing his opinion with his own money. Through it was generally taken for granted that on account of the condition of the soil of the city, it was impracticable from an engineering standpoint to build anything like a skyscraper, Mr. Morris always held opposite views and he, in consequence, with the idea of benefiting the city and building it up on modern lines, constructed the first "skyscraper," the building now known as the People's Bank building, formerly known as the Morris building. The success of this enterprise encouraged him to go on and erect the Hennen building, which is fireproof and 11 stories high. This is really the first big modern building in the South, and as is well known, has served as a model for the many other fireproof structures in New Orleans. His faith in the city was also further exemplified in his connection with the St. Charles hotel, which was, after the fire, rebuilt on modern lines largely through his influence and advice. He was a member of all the carnival organizations in New Orleans, also one of the early members of the Boston club. His children still own and manage the Hennen building, and in addition have built the Commercial National bank building, and they also maintain their interest in the St. Charles hotel. He built a handsome house at 2525 St. Charles avenue, where he spent all of his winters, and since his death, his widow occupies her own home in Audubon place, where she now resides during the winter season. In his personality Mr. Morris was a man of cultivated mind, amiable and generous disposition, and modest manners. Much given to the amenities, he was prodigal in social entertainment, but avoided all ostentation. He had an exceeding distaste for personal notoriety, especially that which attends calculationg [sic] and published benevolence, and he therefore abstained from acts of charitable display. Yet his private distributions of money to worthy objects were at all times large, and he delighted in such discreet gifts, as also in assisting deserving individuals to better their condition in life. He died on his Texas ranch, May 26, 1895. He left a widow and 3 children. The only daughter, Isabel, married Lewis Cass Ledyard of New York (a grandson of Gen. Lewis Cass, vice-president of the United States), a leading lawyer in the United States at the present time, and formerly partner of James C. Carter, who was one of the greatest constitutional lawyers of America. His eldest son, Alfred Hennen Morris, is a graduate of Harvard and was formerly member of the New York legislature and school commissioner for the city of New York. He is also a member of the Boston club and the carnival organizations of New Orleans. He married Miss Jessie Harding, the daughter of W. W. Harding of Philadelphia, who during his life owned the Philadelphia Inquirer. The youngest son, Dave Hennen Morris, is vice-president of the St. Louis & Southwestern R. R. Co. (Cotton Belt Route), a graduate of Harvard and M. from Columbia university, and a member of the New York bar, commissioner of Bronx park through the appointment of the governor of New York. He also is a member of the Boston club and the Carnival organizations of New Orleans. He married Miss Alice Vanderbilt Shepard, a daughter of Col. Elliott F. Shepard, and granddaughter of William H. Vanderbilt.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 643-646. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.