John Morris (businessman)
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John L. Morris (born 1948) is an American
billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultr ...
businessman, and the founder, majority owner, and CEO of
Bass Pro Shops BPS Direct, LLC, trade name, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held sporting goods retailer that offers hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation equipment, marine manufacturing and sales, and outd ...
, a hunting and fishing retail chain in the US and Canada. As of August 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$9.9 billion. He also owns White River Marine Group, Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge, and
Cabela's Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain was founded by Richard N. Cabela and Jim Cabela in 1961. Cabela's was acquired by Springfield, Mi ...
.


Early life

John Morris was born in
Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
in 1948. Morris was educated at
Drury University Drury University, formerly Drury College and originally Springfield College, is a private university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. The university's mission statement describes itself as "church-related". It enrolls about 1,590 undergr ...
. He was born in Springfield to a father who was a
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
veteran, shaping his life to support patriotic values. Both of his parents were hunters and fishers, shaping his life growing up on the
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
and beginning the start of his passion for the sports. Morris graduated from Glendale High School, then enrolled at
Drury University Drury University, formerly Drury College and originally Springfield College, is a private university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. The university's mission statement describes itself as "church-related". It enrolls about 1,590 undergr ...
to major in business. He often jokes that he "majored in fishing" during college.


Career

Morris founded Bass Pro Shops in 1972 when he began selling fishing equipment in the back of one of his father's
Brown Derby Brown Derby was a chain of restaurants in Los Angeles, California. The first and best known was shaped like a derby hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood. It was opened by Wilson Mizner in 1926. The chai ...
liquor stores in Springfield. According to ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'', Morris has a net worth of $8.3 billion. Morris is also the founder of the White River Marine Group. In 1987, after a growth of Bass Pro Shops, Morris purchased a property previously owned and developed by business entrepreneur Jude Simmons and Frisco Railroad executive Harry Worman. The property was then sold to a real estate executive
Dan Norris Dan Norris (born 28 January 1960) is a British politician who served as Mayor of the West of England from 2021 to 2025, and has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Somerset and Hanham since 2024, having represented Wansdyke, ...
who developed the lands and the two buildings left by Simmons and Worman, now known as the historic Worman House and Devil's Pool Bar and Restaurant on the property. Dan Norris later sold it to John Morris for an undisclosed amount and the property, currently named Big Cedar Lodge, has been expanded to about 4,600 acres and was touted as the "#1 Resort in the Midwest" by
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly Wyndham Destinations, Inc., and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation) is an American timeshare company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It develops, sells, and manages timeshare properties under several vacation owners ...
magazine. Morris opened the
Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium The Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, also known as simply Wonders of Wildlife is a not-for-profit educational conservation-themed attraction in Springfield, Missouri. It is located adjacent to the Bass Pro Shops Na ...
in Springfield, in 2017. The museum helps bring visitors to Bass Pro's store there, with which it shares a location. In September 2017, Bass Pro acquired
Cabela's Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain was founded by Richard N. Cabela and Jim Cabela in 1961. Cabela's was acquired by Springfield, Mi ...
, another retailer of outdoor merchandise, for $4 billion. Morris and his family were presented with the
Audubon Medal The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...
in February 2019, in recognition of their conservation efforts. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America awarded Morris its highest honor, the
Old Tom Morris Award The Old Tom Morris Award is the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's most prestigious honor. It is presented each year to an individual who "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare ...
, in 2023 for his continuing lifetime commitment to the sport of golf and conservation efforts. Morris also founded the Top of the Rock golf course in Branson, Missouri, which houses one of the largest collections of Native American arrowheads and art in the region. Top of the Rock experienced a 70-foot-wide sinkhole on May 22, 2016.


Political activity

Morris contributed $200,000 to
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's 2020 presidential campaign. He has been making consistent investments to Republican committees and candidates dating back to 1992. He made significant investments to political action committees for Republicans in US congress.


Personal life

He is married, with four children, and lives in Springfield, Missouri.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Johnny 1948 births Living people American businesspeople American billionaires Drury University alumni People from Springfield, Missouri