Luzon Buritt Morris (April 16, 1827 – August 22, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician from Connecticut. He served as the
55th governor of Connecticut.
Biography
Morris was born in Newtown, Connecticut. He prepared for college at the
Connecticut Literary Institute in Suffield, Connecticut and worked as a blacksmith and in a factory until he entered
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. He studied law with a local attorney while attending Yale, graduating in 1854, and attaining admission to the bar in 1856.
[''Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University'', 1895-6, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, pp. 388-9.] While at Yale he became a member of
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones (also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death) is an undergraduate senior Secret society#Colleges and universities, secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior-class ...
.
Morris served in the
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each ...
from 1855 until 1856, 1870, 1876, 1880 and in 1881. He was
probate judge
A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as orphans' courts o ...
from 1857 until 1863, and served in the
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Se ...
in 1874. He served as
President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate. During his service in the Connecticut General Assembly, he was a member of the commission that settled the border dispute with New York. He was an officer of the Connecticut Savings Bank for several years, and served as the bank president.
As
governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...
from January 4, 1893 until January 9, 1895, Morris was the only member of the
Democratic Party to hold the governorship between 1885 and 1911. During his governorship, Morris advocated for constitutional amendments in the election laws, but failed to get the appropriate legislation passed. His popularity eroded due to the bleak financial depression that overwhelmed the state, and he did not seek reelection. After leaving office, Morris returned to his law practice.
Personal life
Morris married Eugenia L. Tuttle in 1856. They had six children together including Mary Seamoor Morris Pratt, Helen Harrison Morris Hadley, Ray Morris and
Robert Tuttle Morris.
His daughter Mary married oil industrialist
Charles Millard Pratt
Charles Millard Pratt (November 2, 1855 – November 27, 1935) was an American oil industrialist, educator, and philanthropist. As the eldest son of industrialist Charles Pratt, in 1875 he began working at Charles Pratt and Company, soon b ...
, and they had five children. His daughter Helen married Yale University president
Arthur Twining Hadley
Arthur Twining Hadley (, ; April 23, 1856 – March 6, 1930) was an American economist who served as President of Yale University from 1899 to 1921.
Biography
Hadley was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of James Hadley, Professor of Greek ...
, and they had three children. His son Ray was a partner in the investment banking house of Brown Brothers Harriman. His son, Dr.
Robert Tuttle Morris, became a famous surgeon and author.
Death and legacy
Morris died of a stroke at his home in New Haven, Connecticut on August 22, 1895. He is interred at the Zoar Cemetery in Newtown, Connecticut. His home in New Haven was purchased by Yale University in 1957 and restored in 1990. The house was originally built in 1873 and features
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century ...
.
See also
*
1888 Connecticut gubernatorial election
*
1890 Connecticut gubernatorial election
The 1890 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1890. Democratic nominee Luzon B. Morris defeated Republican nominee Samuel E. Merwin with 50.01% of the vote.
The law at the time specified that if no candidate receive ...
*
1892 Connecticut gubernatorial election
The 1892 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1892. It was a rematch of the 1890 Connecticut gubernatorial election. Democratic nominee Luzon B. Morris defeated Republican nominee Samuel E. Merwin with 50.31% of the ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
The Political Graveyard*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Luzon
1827 births
1895 deaths
Democratic Party governors of Connecticut
Democratic Party Connecticut state senators
Democratic Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Yale University alumni
Presidents pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate
Members of Skull and Bones
19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly