Douglas J. Morris (January 5, 1861 – July 9, 1928) was an

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lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

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, and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

who served as a justice of the

Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana ...

from January 2, 1911 to January 1, 1917.Minde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt,
Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices
, ''

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'', Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced i
Indiana Courts Justice Biographies page

Biography

Morris was born in Knightstown,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

to John and Hannah (née Scovell) Morris. He attended Knightstown's

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, graduating from

Knightstown High School Knightstown High School is a high school located in Knightstown, Indiana. About Knightstown High School offers AP and ACP (Advanced College Project) credits. Athletics Knightstown High School competes in the IHSAA in the Tri-Eastern Conference ...

before attending

DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the G ...

(then called Indiana Asbury University) in Greencastle. After graduating from DePauw in 1882 with a

B.A. degree Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate education, undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally complet ...

, Morris studied law in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

from 1882-1883 under the guidance of Benjamin Harrison, future

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. Morris then went to practice law in Knoxville,

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before returning to Indiana and opening up a private practice in Rushville. From 1889-1895, he practiced law in partnership with David S. Morgan, and then from 1895-1898 with S.L. Innis and Wallace Morgan. In 1888, Morris was the Democratic candidate in a race for a seat in the U.S. Congress, but was defeated. In 1898, Morris was elected judge of the Rush County Circuit Court, serving in the position until 1904. In 1910, Morris was elected to the

to succeed Justice Oscar H. Montgomery. He served on the bench until 1917, when he was succeeded by Justice David Myers. He returned to his private practice in Rushville after leaving the court. Morris married Pamela A. Spann, the daughter of a prominent Rush County politician, in 1892. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Morris's daughter, Hannah, was admitted to the Indiana bar and practiced law with her father. Morris was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

and a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Morris died in Rushville in 1928.

References

1861 births 1928 deaths People from Knightstown, Indiana DePauw University alumni U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court American judges Indiana Democrats {{US-state-judge-stub