James HarrisMorgan

JAMES HARRIS MORGAN                           

GREENVILLE, TEXAS - J. Harris Morgan, 83, of Greenville died on February 22, 2010.  A memorial service will occur at 1:00 p.m. on February 25, 2010 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 1914 Joe Ramsey Boulevard, Greenville, Texas with Dr. Ron Salfren officiating.    A private interment will occur at East Mount Cemetery, Greenville, Texas.

            Mr. Morgan was born on September 17, 1926 in Greenville, Texas to James Benton Morgan and Almarine Harris Morgan and married Barbara Knox April 5, 1952 .    Mr. Morgan is survived by his wife and three children, Marshall Benton Morgan and wife Karen, Lynn Morgan Johnston and husband, Jim, and James Brian Morgan and wife, Julie, grandchildren, Morgan Cornwall and husband Craig, Joshua Michael Johnston and wife Laurel, Ellen Sherman Morgan, James Hamrick Morgan, Ricky Perez-Morgan, Steven Perez-Morgan and six great-grandchildren (and one due in October 2010).

            Mr. Morgan was preceded in death by a brother, Dr. Robert Irvin Morgan and a sister, Beth Morgan Burnett and his parents.

            A third generation attorney whose grandfather began practicing law in Greenville in 1891, Mr. Morgan graduated from Greenville High School and entered the University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation with High Honors in 1947 from UTA and a Phi Beta Kappa, Harris attended law school at the University of Texas at Austin, graduated with an LLB in June 1950, and a member Phi Delta Phi, and started practicing law in Greenville upon admission by the Supreme Court of Texas in 1950.   Mr. Morgan practiced law continuously from 1950 until 2010 with Morgan & Gotcher.  Even on those occasions when he was recuperating at assisted living facilities, Morgan attempted to help others in need.  Mr. Morgan served in the United States Army during World War II.

            Harris had a love for education and music at an early age.  He was significantly influenced by his mother who was educated to be a teacher but was initially denied employment due to her being married and who instilled in Harris a love of the arts and learning new words and ideas.  Harris was the head drum major for the Greenville Marching Band at Greenville High School and also played the clarinet in grade school.

            Mr. Morgan was instrumental in the creation and operation of the F. L. Young Foundation, the Gladys Clayton Foundation and bringing the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as well as the Greenville Entertainment Series to Greenville.   Currently, Greenville, Texas is the only venue outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex which is blessed to hear the Dallas Symphony Orchestra three times annually with workshops and concerts for students.

            Among his other accomplishments and service, Mr. Morgan was awarded the Worthy Citizen Award by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in 1989.  He served as adjunct professor at Texas  A&M University-Commerce for many years teaching probate, law office efficiency and management.

            Mr. Morgan also served as Former Chairman of ABA Section of Economics of the Law Practice; he was a Former Member of the House of Delegates of the ABA, Former Director of the State Bar of Texas, Former Chairman of the Texas Bar Foundation, Lecturer in three ABA and Canadian Bar Association films -"Romancing Fees Into the 20th Century", "How to Double Productivity With Systems",    "How to Increase Productivity With New Motivation Techniques."

            Morgan received the Certificate of Merit, July 3, 1965, given by the State Bar of Texas for services to the State Bar of Texas and the profession during 1965, the Certificate of Merit, July 2, 1966, given by the State Bar of Texas for services to the State Bar of Texas and the profession during 1966, President’s Award, July 8, 1967, given by the President of the State Bar of Texas in appreciation of Harris’ most outstanding service to the legal profession in Texas during 1967.

            In 1980, Morgan was the recipient of the Harrison Tweed Award awarded by the Association of Continuing Legal Education Administrators "for singular contributions in teaching delivery of legal service skills to the legal profession.”  He was the first recipient to receive the Gene Cavin Award for excellence in Continuing Legal Education in 1990 awarded to him by the State Bar of Texas.

            Morgan was also an honored recipient of the Outstanding 50 Year Law Award from the Texas Bar Foundation, June 14, 2001, and recipient of the Donald C. Rikli Lifetime Achievement Award, August 2, 2001, and recipient of the Samuel S. Smith Award of Excellence in Law Practice Management, August, 2001.

            Harris shared his knowledge of law office management and education with others by lecturing to other bar associations in every state within the continental United States as well as lecturing in 1988 for the American Bar Association Video, "How to Set a Fair Fee", lecturing in 1991 for the American Bar Association Video "The Secrets of Effective Public Speaking", lecturing via National Satellite Television from New York April, 1991 -"Research in Client Orientation in a Crowded Market", lecturing via National Satellite Television from Washington D.C. August 20, 1991, "Research in Personality Profiles - a New Look at John Geir or How to Test for People Who Will Be Willing to Help Even Us."  Morgan also served as Guest Lecturer upon faculty invitation at SMU Law School, the University of Texas Law School, Duke University Law School, Colorado University Law School, and Iowa University Law School.

            Mr. Morgan proudly served as a commissioner under the Hoblitzelle and Moody Foundation

project of the Family Law Section to draft the modernized Texas Family Code which became a model for other codes in other states and countries around the world.  Harris served on this committee with such legal giants as Louise Raggio and Reba Graham Rasor.

            Mr. Morgan was a Fellow in The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a contributing editor of the Texas Probate System - Dependent Administration, a Life Fellow with the American Bar Foundation, a Life Fellow with the Texas Bar Foundation, Chairman of the Court Costs and Judicial Efficiency Committee of  the State Bar of Texas 1982-1987, a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, and  a contributing author of the American Bar Association book which was published in 1989 - "Beyond the Billable Hour: An Anthology of Alternative Billing Methods."

            Morgan served the State Bar of Texas as a five term member in 1991 of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the State Bar of Texas, a member of the Minimum Continuing Legal Education Committee of State Bar of Texas from 1991 to 1995.   Morgan authored "How to Draft Bills Clients Rush to Pay" - ABA Press 1995, and authored "How to Draft Bills Clients Rush to Pay, Second Edition" - ABA Press 2003.

            In 2009,  the City of Greenville honored Morgan for his dedication to the arts by erecting a plaque in his honor at the Municipal Auditorium and commissioning Kelly Porter through Laura F. Green, as agent, to create three artistic scenes which complimented a musical composition by Schubert.

            In spite of all of Morgan’s accomplishments, his most important qualities included his faith in God, his service to our country in a time of need, his dedication to his family and church, fairness, high integrity, professionalism, honesty and candor.  Harris believed in equality for all and was proud to have the first integrated waiting room in Greenville, Texas.  Shortly before Morgan’s passing, he said, “I am grateful to have been born to a family which instilled in me the importance of education and a love for the arts.  I have had a wonderful life; I have been richly blessed and also believe strongly in the importance of an education.”  Morgan’s most oft-quoted message to others was: “Begin-the rest is easy.”

            Coker-Mathews Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.