Charles Eldridge Morgan Jr. (1844–1917) was a Civil War veteran who co-founded the law firm Morgan Lewis at

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in 1873 with fellow lawyer Francis Draper Lewis. He was twice vice-president of the Philadelphia Law Academy, and served the City of Philadelphia as its first Assistant City Solicitor, and as a member of its Boards of Education and City Trusts.

Early life and family

Following his family's 1844 relocation from

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Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

; Morgan was born on September 23, 1844, at

, Pennsylvania, the first child of Charles Eldridge Morgan and Jane Bowen Morgan (née Buck). His brother, Randal (1853–1926), also graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, in 1873, and joined Morgan's newly opened law firm, then became, in 1882, the first vice-president of its principle client firm, United Gas Improvement Company (later UGI Corporation). Another brother, John Buck (1847–1919), graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, as well, receiving degrees in 1866 and 1869, and played on the cricket team captained by Morgan; he became a successful manufacturer, merchant and financier who served on the Boards of several Philadelphia institutions. Morgan married Elizabeth Belsham "Lillie" Merrick, daughter of Thomas B. Merrick and Elizabeth M. White, on April 27, 1875, at Philadelphia, with whom he had three children: Charles Eldridge Morgan III, who joined him at his firm in the practice of law; Elizabeth Merrick Morgan Perry; and Hallowell Vaughn Morgan.

Education

Morgan attended Germantown schools, then the

, where he was graduated in 1864.

The Landis Battery

Morgan's studies were interrupted by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, when he organized Landis' Battery in response to General Robert E. Lee's raid through Pennsylvania. Stationed at Carlisle during June through August 1863, as first-line reserves for the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

; contrary to some reports, the Battery did not see action at that historic engagement.

Cricket

Morgan was captain of the University of Pennsylvania's 1864 cricket team, on which his brother, John Buck Morgan (1847 - 1919), also played; the team was distinguished by playing the first intercollegiate cricket match in the college's history, against Haverford College, on May 7, 1864. He later co-founded the

Germantown Cricket Club The Germantown Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was one of the four principal cricket clubs in the city and was one of the clubs contributing members to the Philadelphian cricke ...

Career

Following his Civil War service; Morgan read law in the office of Judge William A. Porter, then was admitted to the bar in 1868. Five years later, he co-founded Morgan & Lewis with Francis Draper Lewis, on March 10, 1873, and remained an active practitioner throughout his career. In 1878, City Solicitor William Nelson West (co-founder of the banking firm Henry & West with W. Barklie Henry) appointed Morgan Philadelphia's first Assistant City Solicitor, an office he retained until 1884. He served as

vice-president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

of the Philadelphia Law Academy in 1869, and 1878 to 1885, and on the Board of Education for five years, followed by the Board of City Trusts for Philadelphia.Warwick, Charles Franklin
''Warwick's Keystone Commonwealth: A Review of the History of the Great State of Pennsylvania, and a Brief Record of the Growth of Its Chief City, Philadelphia'', 1913 - Pennsylvania, US, page 407. Retrieved October 15, 2018.

References

External links

"Morgan Family of Llantarnam, Monmouthshire", ''Welsh Biography Online'', National Library of Wales, 1959. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Charles Eldridge Jr. 1844 births 1917 deaths Lawyers from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania alumni Cricketers from Philadelphia People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War 19th-century American lawyers