Hunt, Herbert and Floyd C. Kaylor.  Washington: West of the Cascades.  Vol. 
III.  Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1917.  p.597-598.

MORRIS, HON. GEORGE EDWARD

	The record of Hon. George Edward Morris, justice of the supreme court 
of Washington, is a record of distinguished public service, for as judge of 
the superior court and as justice and chief justic of the supreme court he has 
manifested profound legal learning and the power of going surely to the vital 
point of a matter and has applied the law in the spirit of justice, allowing 
himself to be influenced by no other consideration whatsoever.
	He was born in Utica, New York, on the 17th of July, 1862, a son of 
the Rev. E. E. and Eliza (McClements) Morris, who were married in Utica, New 
York, in September, 1860.  The father was born in Staffordshire, England, in 
March, 1840, but when eight years old was brought by his parents to the United 
States.  He grew to manhood and received his early education in Utica, New 
York, where the family home was established.  Later he entered Cazenovia 
Seminary, a Methodist institution at Cazenovia, New York.  In 1873 he was 
admitted to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was stationed 
as pastor in a number of towns in central New York and northern Pennsylvania.  
In 1891 he became pastor of the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church at Tacoma, 
Washington, and later had charge of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church.  
On leaving Tacoma he was stationed at Kent, Washington, but remained there 
only a short time and then went to Seattle, where he served as pastor of the 
Madison Street Methodist Episcopal church.  He had charge of that congregation 
until 1910, when he retired.  To him and his wife were born three children: 
George Edward, of this review; Albert L., of Chicago; and Mrs. W. L. Cooper, 
of Seattle.
	George E. Morris attended school at Utica, New York, until 1873 and 
then attended Cazenovia Seminary until 1876.  At the end of that time he went 
to Pennsylvania and secured work as a farm hand.  He was employed in that 
manner as as clerk in a general store until 1878.  He carefully saved his 
earnings and in the last mentioned year entered the Susquehanna Collegiate 
Institute at Towanda, Pennsylvania, having accumulated sufficient money to pay 
his tuition and other expenses.  In 1879 he entered the Genesee Wesleyan 
Seminary at Lima, New York, from which he was graduated in 1880.  For a year 
he taught school in Pennsylvania and then went to Elmira, New York, where for 
a similar period he studied law under John T. Davidson.  He then went to 
Horseheads, New York, and read law under the direction of Dailey & Bentley 
until 1884, when he went to Albany and matriculated in the law school of Union 
University, now known as the Albany Law School.  he received his professional 
degree in 1885 and was admitted to the bar in the same year.  He practiced at 
Interlaken, New York, until the spring of 1887, when he went to Kearney, 
Nebraska, where he remained until his removal to Seattle, Washington in 
December, 1889.  In 1891 and 1892 he served as assistant city attorney and 
after the expiration of his term concentrated his energies upon the upbuilding 
of his private practice until 1902, when he was elected judge of the superior 
court.  He served as such until April, 1909, when he was appointed judge of 
the supreme court by Governor Hay, and in November, 1910, he was elected judge 
for a term of six years and reelected for a second full term in November, 
1916.  In January, 1915, he became chief justice and held that position until 
the end of his first elected term.  He has more than proved equal to the 
exactions of his responsible position, upholding the majesty of the law and 
securing the execution of justice.
	Judge Morris was married in Kent, Washington, January 29, 1899, to 
Miss Maude E. Mylroie, and they have a son, Edward E., born November 26, 1899.  
Judge Morris is a republican in politics and in religious faith a Methodist.  
He is well known in fraternal and club circles, belonging to the Scottish Rite 
Masonic bodies, the Mystic Shrine, the Elks, the Woodmen of the World, the 
Royal Arcanum, the Improved Order of the Redmen, the Olympia Gold Club and the 
Seattle Athletic Club.

Submitted by: Jenny Tenlen

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.