Background
Morris was born in Newtown, Connecticut.
Morris was born in Newtown, Connecticut.
Yale University.
He served as the 55th Governor of Connecticut. He prepared for college at the Connecticut Literary Institute in Suffield, Connecticut and worked as a blacksmith and in a factory until he entered Yale University. Morris served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1855 until 1856, 1870, 1876, 1880 and in 1881.
He was probate judge from 1857 until 1863, and served in the Connecticut Senate in 1874.
He served as President pro tempore of the Connecticut Senate. He was an officer of the Connecticut Savings Bank for several years, and served as the bank president
During his governorship, Morris advocated for constitutional amendments in the election laws, but failed to get the appropriate legislation passed. His popularity eroded due to the bleak financial depression that overwhelmed the state, and he did not seek reelection.
After leaving office, Morris returned to his law practice.
Morris died of a stroke at his home in New Haven, Connecticut on August 22, 1895. He is interred at the Zoar Cemetery in Newtown, Connecticut. His home in New Haven was purchased by Yale University in 1957 and restored in 1990.
The house was originally built in 1873 and features Italianate architecture.
While at Yale he became a member of Skull and Bones. During his service in the Connecticut General Assembly, he was a member of the commission that settled the border dispute with New New York As Governor of Connecticut from January 4, 1893 until January 9, 1895, Morris was the only member of the Democratic Party to hold the governorship between 1885 and 1911.