Jay Johnson Morrow (February 20, 1870 – April 16, 1937) was Chief Engineer of the United States First Army and as Deputy Chief Engineer of the

American Expeditionary Force 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 alon ...

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 ...

and Governor of the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

from 1921 to 1924.

Early life and family

He was born on February 20, 1870 in

Fairview, West Virginia Fairview is a town in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 374 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from the old Fairview Inn near the original town site. Geography Fairview is located at (39.592698, -80.2471 ...

. He was of Scots-Irish descent. He was the brother of U.S. Senator and Diplomat

Dwight Morrow Dwight Whitney Morrow (January 11, 1873October 5, 1931) was an American businessman, diplomat, and politician, best known as the U.S. ambassador who improved U.S.-Mexican relations, mediating the religious conflict in Mexico known as the Cristero ...

and uncle of

Anne Morrow Lindbergh Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (June 22, 1906 – February 7, 2001) was an American writer and aviator. She was the wife of decorated pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, with whom she made many exploratory flights. Raised in Englewood, New Jers ...

Military career

He graduated from the

United States Military Academy at West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1891. He was then commissioned in the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

. He was an instructor in military engineering at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

from 1895-96. He served as military governor of the Philippine Province of Zamboanga from 1901–02. He served as Engineering Commissioner in the District of Columbia from 1907 to 1909. During World War I, he served as Chief Engineer of First Army and as Deputy Chief Engineer of the American Expeditionary Force. He was Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1921 to 1924.

Personal life

Morrow married Harriet McMullen Butler on October 15, 1895. She was the daughter of Brigadier General John Gazzam Butler & Eliza Jane Miller Warnick. She was also the granddaughter of Charles Ward Warnick & Mary Ann Miller.

Death and legacy

He died on April 16, 1937. His ashes were scattered over the Chagres River, which feeds into the Panama Canal.

References

External links/Sources

Panama Canal Authority biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrow, Jay Johnson 1870 births 1937 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Governors of the Panama Canal Zone Members of the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia People from Fairview, West Virginia Military personnel from West Virginia United States Army generals of World War I United States Army generals United States Military Academy faculty United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel