Biography of 	MORRIS, John A., New Jersey, then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller June 1998

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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.