John Morton-Finney (June 25, 1889 – January 28, 1998) was an American

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...

activist, lawyer, and educator who earned eleven academic degrees, including five law degrees. He spent most of his career as an educator and lawyer after serving from 1911 to 1914 in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

as a member of the 24th Infantry Regiment, better known as the

Buffalo soldiers Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...

, and with the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Morton-Finney taught languages at Fisk University in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and at Lincoln University in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, before moving to Indianapolis,

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 ...

, where he taught in the

Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is the largest school district in Indianapolis, and the second largest school district in the state of Indiana as of 2021, behind Fort Wayne Community Schools. The district's headquarters are in the John Morton ...

for forty-seven years. Morton-Finney was a member of the original faculty at Indianapolis's

Crispus Attucks High School Crispus Attucks High School (also known as Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School) is a high school of the Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis, in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is named for Crispus Attucks (c.1723 – March 5, 1770), ...

when it opened in 1927 and later became head of its foreign language department. He also taught at

Shortridge High School Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Shortridge is the home of the International Baccalaureate and arts and humanities programs of the Indianapolis Public Schools district.(IPS). Originall ...

and at other IPS schools. Morton-Finney was admitted as a member of the Bar of the Indiana Supreme Court in 1935, as a member of the Bar of the U.S. District Court in 1941, and was admitted to practice before the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

in 1972. When Morton-Finney retired from practicing law on June 25, 1996, his 107th birthday, he was believed to have been the oldest practicing attorney in the United States. At the time of his death in 1998 he was Indiana's oldest veteran. Morton-Finney was honored with numerous honorary awards and certificates, including one from the Chief Justice of the United States in 1989, in addition to being commissioned a

Kentucky Colonel Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is the most well-known of a number of honorary colonelcies conferred by United States governors. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) i ...

(1991) from the

Governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-e ...

and named a recipient of a

Sagamore of the Wabash The Sagamore of the Wabash is an honorary award created by the U.S. state of Indiana during the term of Governor Ralph F. Gates, who served from 1945 to 1949. A tri-state meeting was to be held in Louisville with officials from Indiana, Ohio ...

award from the

Governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the State of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state governmen ...

. He also received distinguished alumni and graduate awards from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

and was inducted into the

National Bar Association The National Bar Association (NBA) was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law profess ...

Hall of Fame (1991). In addition, the Indianapolis Bar Association and Butler University present awards named in his honor.

Early life and family

Born Morton Finney on June 25, 1889, to a former slave father and a free mother, George and Maryatta "Mattie" (Gordon) Finney, in

Uniontown, Kentucky Uniontown is a home rule-class city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,002 at the 2010 census. The John T. Myers Locks and Dam, once known as Uniontown Locks and Dam, is located downriver 3½ miles. History The na ...

, and was one of the family's seven children. After the death of his mother in 1903, when John was fourteen, his father was unable to care for the children and sent them to live with their grandfather on his farm in

. Prior to his enlistment in the

in 1911, Morton-Finney was enrolled at Lincoln College in Jefferson City, Missouri. After his return to the United States in 1914, Morton-Finney resumed his studies at Lincoln College, where he met and married Pauline Angeline Ray (November 19, 1889 – September 3, 1975) of

Geneva, New York Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 13, ...

. Ray was a graduate of

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

and a French teacher at Lincoln College. The couple moved to Indianapolis,

, in 1922 and, later, had a daughter, Gloria Ann Morton-Finney. John and Pauline Morton-Finney were married for more than fifty-two years.

Military service

Morton-Finney enrolled at Lincoln College in

, but his education was interrupted by military service. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1911, becoming a member of the 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment (a regiment of African American soldiers, better known as

Buffalo soldier Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...

s) and served in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Morton-Finney was promoted to the rank of corporal and sergeant, but was denied an officer's commission due to racial discrimination. He received an honorable discharge and returned to the United States in 1914. Morton-Finney also served as an infantryman in the American Expeditionary Force in 1918 in

during

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he was cited for directing the rationing tickets program for African Americans in Indianapolis.

Education

Morton-Finney had a lifelong interest in education, earning eleven academic degrees in law, French, mathematics, and

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

. After his military service in the

in 1914, he returned to Lincoln College in

, where he resumed his education and met his wife, Pauline, who was also an educator at the college. His education was disrupted again with military service in 1918, this time serving in France during World War I, but continued his education following his return to the United States. Morton-Finney earned a total of five law degrees, the first one from Lincoln College in 1935, followed by law degrees from Indiana Law School and

in 1944, IU's School of Law in 1946, and

Martin University Martin University (originally Martin Center College) is a private college in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded by Fr Boniface Hardin, OSB and Jane Edward Schilling, CSJ in 1977 to serve low-income, minority, and adult learners. It is the only ...

in 1995. In addition, he earned master's degrees from

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

(1925) and in French (1933), while at teaching at

in Indianapolis. Morton-Finney also held undergraduate degrees from Lincoln Institute (1920),

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

(1922), and

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

(1965). Late in life he was awarded a

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Docto ...

(Litt.D.) from Lincoln University (1985), and received an honorary

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

degree (L.H.D) from

(1989). Morton-Finney was fluent in French,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, and conversant in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

."The African King" in

Career

Educator and administrator

Morton-Finney taught languages at Fisk University in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, and at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, before moving to Indianapolis,

, in 1922 to teach in the

. Morton-Finney spent forty-seven years as an IPS teacher and school administrator, beginning at

. He was one of the original faculty members hired for the new

when it opened in 1927. (Attucks High School was the only public high school in Indianapolis designated specifically for African Americans.) Morton-Finney became head of Attucks's foreign language department, taught

, and French, and later taught at other IPS schools, including junior high mathematics and social studies. He also served as an IPS school principal. In addition, Morton-Finney taught life skills, invited presidents from black colleges to speak to the students, and helped students with college scholarships. In honor of his nearly five decades of service in the Indianapolis Public Schools, the school district's downtown Center for Education Services building was renamed the Dr. John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services.

Lawyer

In addition to his long career as an educator in the Indianapolis public schools, Morton-Finney practiced law in Indiana for many years. He was admitted as a member of the Bar of the Indiana Supreme Court in 1935 and as a member of the Bar of the U.S. District Court in 1941. At the age of 83, Morton-Finney was admitted to practice before the

in 1972. He was inducted into the

Hall of Fame in 1991. When Morton-Finney retired from practicing law at the age of 107, he was believed to have been the oldest practicing attorney in the United States.At least one report inaccurately claims that "Morton-Finney was believed to have been the longest practicing attorney in the United States, taking the record from Rush Limbaugh Sr. (1891–1996) who practiced law for 75 years." See: If the dates in this report are accurate, Morton-Finney, who earned his first law degree in 1935 and practiced law until 1996 (a period of 61 years), was 107 years of old when he retired from practicing law. Limbaugh was 105 years old when he died in 1996, but the reports states he practiced law for 75 years.

Later years

Due to his African family's ancestry, ninety-year-old Morton-Finney was crowned Adeniran I, Paramount Chief of Yoruba Descendants in Indiana during ceremonies held at

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located at 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana in the United Northwest Area neighborhood of the city. The museum is accredited by the American Al ...

on August 31, 1979. Morton-Finney's family ancestors migrated from

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

to what is present-day

Badagry Badagry (traditionally Gbagli) also spelled Badagri, is a coastal town and Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is quite close to the city of Lagos, and located on the north bank of Porto Novo Creek, an inland waterway that con ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, and became enslaved in America. At the age of 96, Morton-Finney was awarded a

(Litt.D.) from Lincoln University in 1985. He was also the recipient of an honorary

degree (L.H.D) from

in 1989 at the age of 100.

Death and legacy

Morton-Finney died on January 28, 1998, at the age of 108. He was buried with full military honors at

Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high point ...

in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the time of his death, Morton-Finney was Indiana's oldest veteran. Morton-Finney was recognized during his lifetime for his public service contributions with honorary awards and certificates from Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (June 9, 1989), the Indianapolis Public Schools (May 22, 1990),

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, the Indianapolis City Council (1995), and the Mayor of Indianapolis, in addition to being commissioned a

(1991) by the

and receiving a

award from the

. Morton-Finney also received distinguished alumni and graduate awards from

and was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame (1991). In recognition of his years as a legal professional the Indianapolis Bar Association presents awards to local lawyers for their leadership in legal education in Morton-Finney's honor. Butler University presents an award in Morton-Finney's honor to students who demonstrate leadership in promoting "diversity and inclusion in their schools or communities."

Awards and honors

*Crowned Adeniran I, Paramount Chief of Yoruba Descendants in Indiana (1979) * To honor his lifelong commitment to education and his 47 years with the

, the IPS board renamed its Center for Education Services to the Dr. John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services. Commander Carlton Philpot, who was the Chairman of the Buffalo Soldiers Monument committee at Fort Leavenworth, KS, was the keynote speaker for the dedication. *Recipient of Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award (1983) *Recipient of the Distinguished Graduate, School of Education, Award from the Indiana University Alumni Association (1983) * Honored at a White House dinner by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. *Recipient of a Kentucky Colonel Award (1991) *Inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame (1991) *Recipient of a Sagamore of the Wabash Award *Recipient of an

honorary doctorate degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

from

(1991) *Named an honorary member of the U.S. 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association (1995) * In 1998, Congresswoman

Julia Carson Julia May Carson (née Porter; July 8, 1938 – December 15, 2007) was a member of the United States House of Representatives for from 1997 until her death in 2007 (numbered as the 10th District from 1997 to 2003).

made a tribute to Morton-Finney on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. * The Indianapolis Bar Association established the Dr. John Morton-Finney Jr. Award for Excellence in Legal Education in his honor (1998). * A residential house on the IUPUI campus was named in his honor in 2014. *

's Dr. John Morton-Finney Leadership Award to students who have taken a leadership role promoting diversity and inclusion in their schools or communities is named in his honor.

References

External links

* *https://web.archive.org/web/20030405193808/http://www.indystar.com/library/factfiles/history/black_history/black_hoosiers.html
Alumni Profile"Dr. John Morton-Finney
" photograph dated February 19, 1966, in the ''Indianapolis Recorder'' Collection, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis {{DEFAULTSORT:Morton-Finney, John American centenarians African-American centenarians Men centenarians 1889 births 1998 deaths American civil rights lawyers American educators People from Kentucky People from Indianapolis American people of Yoruba descent 20th-century American lawyers Yoruba legal professionals Yoruba educators Indiana University alumni Iowa State University alumni Butler University alumni Fisk University faculty Yoruba academics American people of World War I Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery Lincoln University (Missouri) alumni 20th-century African-American people