Simultaneously he attended Cape Cod Institute of Music during the summers of 1939-1941 as a piano major, and studied composition at Harvard University with Walter Piston in 1946. In composition in 1947-1948 and an Master of Music in composition (with Paul Hindemith), 1950–1951.
He received a professional education as a chemist, receiving a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania in 1941 and a Doctor of Philosophy in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1946. He then received a second set of degrees in music at the Yale School of Music: Bachelor of Music From 1951 through 1985, Morris was Professor of theory and composition at the School of Music at Syracuse University.
During those years He organized annual recitals of solo and chamber works during each of these years.
He composed and produced an opera, "The Postponment" in 1959 and performed his Symphony in 1961 and Symphony 2 with the Syracuse Symphony in 1967. He is best known for having founded and directed the Electronic Studio of School of Music at Syracuse University from 1966 through 1985, after participating in Robert Moog"s Electronic Music Workshop in Trumansburg, New New York
Among his students was Bill Viola. Morris presented many multi-media events combining electronic music with visual and dramatic arts from 1966 through 1976.
These events took place in Syracuse and other colleges throughout the Northeastern United States, and at Composers" Forum, the Gate Theatre, The Kitchen, Automation House in New York City. They were also included in four of Charlotte Moorman"s Festivals of the Avant Garde in New York City.
Morris began a long series of Electronic Symphonies, at first using only analog electronic sounds (Symphony 1 in 1976). He afterwards added sounds from the new digital keyboards as they became available—his latest is Symphony #540.
