William A. Morris Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1458-1459 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	WILLIAM A. MORRIS, one of the leading members of the legal 
profession of Spink county, and a prominent citizen of Redfield, was 
born at Mount Carroll, Carroll county, Illinois, on December 13, 1864, 
and is the son of J. P. and Jamima Morris, both natives of Ohio. When a 
youth the father removed to Wisconsin with his parents, and he there 
grew to manhood, and was there married. From Wisconsin the parents of 
the subject removed to Carroll county, Illinois, where they resided 
until 1881, then removed to Fulton, Illinois. In 1896 they came to 
Redfield. The mother died in 1899, and the father died in July, 1901. 

	William A. Morris was reared on the home farm in Illinois. He 
attended the district schools, and then entered the Northern Illinois 
College at Fulton, where he was graduated in the class of 1883. While a 
student at college he also read law to some extent. After leaving 
college he became associated with his brother, S. E. Morris, in the 
clothing business at Fulton, Illinois. Subsequently they removed their 
business to Darlington, Wisconsin, and combined the same until S. E. 
Morris came to South Dakota, at which time the subject resumed his legal 
studies. In 1888 he came to South Dakota, and the following year was 
admitted to the bar of the state. In January, 1890, he engaged in the 
practice at Redfield, where he has since continued with success. In 1894 
Mr. Morris was elected state's attorney for Spink county, and was re-
elected in 1896. During 1893-4 he also held the office of city attorney 
for Redfield. At the national meeting of the Sons of Veterans held at 
Syracuse, New York, in 1901, Mr. Morris was elected by that body to the 
position of secretary and attorney for the Memorial University, the 
buildings for which are now in course of erection at Mason City, Iowa. 
The duties of his dual office requires the presence of Mr. Morris in 
Mason City a considerable portion of his time. 

	Mr. Morris is a Republican in politics. He is identified with the 
Masonic fraternity, belonging to the chapter and commandery of that 
order. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. 

	On December 29, 1892, Mr. Morris was married to Edna Upton, who 
was born in Illinois, and who came with her parents to South Dakota in 
1886. To this union the following children have been born: Marguerite, 
Helen and Merle, the last named having died at the age of six years.