Eleanor Smith Morrison (born September 5, 1948) was elected the 11th
National Commissioner of the
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 2018. She is the first woman to serve in the role since the group was incorporated in 1910.
Morrison is a longtime volunteer and philanthropist in her community of
Waco, Texas. As National Commissioner, she was one of the top three leaders with the BSA and has been a key advocate for women as
Scouts BSA began admitting girls into their program.
Background
Morrison is the daughter of Goodhue Wilson Smith and Ida Lu Smith (née Spurgin).
She has three siblings, Goodhue, Hilliard, and Deborah.
She graduated from the
Southern Methodist University (SMU), where she was a member of the
Pi Beta Phi sorority.
After graduating from SMU, Morrison worked as an elementary school teacher. She married noted
pathologist Dr. Edwin B. Morrison.
and stopped teaching to raise a family. After raising her family, she turned her attention to community and civic organizations. She and her husband have worked together in all of their Scouting careers.
Civic involvement
Boy Scouts of America
Morrison has worked at all levels of Scouting, first serving as a cub scout leader in her son's pack, and as an
assistant scoutmaster in Waco Troop 308.
On the national level, she has chaired the New Unit Task Force, where she helped create the New Member Coordinator position. She also chaired the team that created the Commissioner Award of Excellence for Unit Service, and was a member of the committee that designed the
Wood Badge for the 21st Century
Wood Badge in the United States is the highest level of adult Scout leader training available. The first Wood Badge course was presented in England by the founder of Scouting, Baden-Powell, and he introduced the program into the United States du ...
.
As the BSA's national commissioner, she was also a member of the
executive board of its
National Council. She continues her work as a local unit commissioner from Troop 308.
Other organizations
Outside of her work in Scouting, Morrison serves on a number of local boards, including United Way of Waco-McLennan County,
Baylor Research,
Oakwood Cemetery, and
McLennan County Community College Foundation
McLennan Community College (MCC) is a public community college in McLennan County, Texas. Located in Waco, Texas, it opened in 1965. MCC now serves about 9,000 students and has more than 700 employees. It is governed by a Board of Trustees el ...
, and the
First United Methodist Church in Waco. She works with
Food for Families
Scouting for Food is an ongoing annual program of the Boy Scouts of America, begun in 1985 by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council. The program involves collecting for local food banks. It is organized at the local level throughout the country.
...
in the Waco area.
Awards
Morrison has been awarded with the
Silver Beaver,
Silver Antelope, and
Silver Buffalo
The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting pro ...
by the Boy Scouts of America.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Ellie
Philanthropists from Texas
People from Waco, Texas
Southern Methodist University alumni
1947 births
Living people
Pi Beta Phi
National Commissioners of the Boy Scouts of America