Dick Thompson Morgan (December 6, 1853 – July 4, 1920) was an American educator, lawyer and politician who served six terms as a U.S. Representative from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

from 1909 to 1920.

Early life and education

Born at Prairie Creek, Indiana, a few miles southwest of

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, Morgan attended the country schools and the Prairie Creek High School. In 1876 he received a bachelor's degree and in 1878 a master's degree both from Union Christian College, Merom, Indiana. He became a professor of mathematics in that college. He then graduated from Central Law School,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, in 1880.

Career

Morgan was admitted to the bar in 1880 and commenced practice in

. Morgan served as member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1880 and 1881. He was appointed register of the United States land office at Woodward in Oklahoma Territory, by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

in 1904 and served until May 1, 1908.

Congress

Morgan was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-first and to the five succeeding Congresses. Beginning on March 3, 1909, he represented the 2nd district. In 1915, after redistricting due to the 1910 Census, he represented the 8th congressional district until his unexpected death in 1920. He was once known as the "father of the

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

." Morgan introduced the first bill to establish such a commission on January 12, 1912, made the first speech on the House floor urging its adoption on February 21, 1912 and reintroduced a slightly amended version of the bill in 1913. He was a member of the Claims, Railways and Canals, Expenditures in the Treasury Department, Public Lands, and Judiciary committees. Morgan also became an expert on Rural Credits, sponsoring the 1916 rural credits law that created the federal land bank system.

Personal life

In 1878 he married Ora Heath. Their son, Porter Heath Morgan, was born in 1880.

Death and burial

On July 4, 1920, Morgan died of pneumonia in Danville, Illinois, while returning from Washington, D.C. to Oklahoma. Dick Thompson Morgan is interred in Rose Hill Burial Park in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

Publications

*''Morgan's Digest of Oklahoma Statutes and Supreme Court Decisions'' (1897) *''Morgan's Manual of the United States Homestead, Township, and Mining Laws'' (1900) *''Morgan's School Land Manual'' (1901) *''Land Credits: A Plea for the American Farmer'' (1915) * Served as President and Treasurer of the Western Investment Co. ( El Reno, Oklahoma 1901–1904), the publisher of the periodical ''Oklahoma Real Estate Register''.

References

Dick T. Morgan Collection
at the Carl Albert Center
Dick T. Morgan, late a representative from Oklahoma, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1922
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Dick Thompson 1853 births 1920 deaths People from Vigo County, Indiana American people of Welsh descent Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly