Walter P. Morgan

Wabash Valley profiles : a series of tributes to hometown heroes who have made a difference

Description:	One typed page including photograph; biography of Walter P. Morgan, superintendent of the Terre Haute Public Schools from 1906-1908 and third president of Western Illinois University. WABASHP R OFIA hometown h heroes who h difference. A seriies of ttributes tto h f ib t t h have made a diff dVALLEYL E SWalter P. Morgannative of Prairie Creek Township, Walter Piety Morgan became superintendent of the Terre Haute Public Schools and then the third president of Western Illinois University. The only son of William Riley and Nancy (Piety) Morgan, Walter was born Dec. 30, 1871. He secured an excellent education at the old Watson School and graduated from Prairie Creek High School in 1888. Promptly enrolling at Indiana State Normal School, he attended classes each spring and summer and taught in country schools during the winters. On March 11, 1890, he married Effie Jane Elliott, a Vigo County native. Upon earning a college degree in 1895, Walter became a mathematics teacher at Terre Haute (later Wiley) High School for four years. He spent the 1899-1900 scholastic year in Bloomington, earning a bachelor s degree at Indiana University. He was employed as a mathematics instructor at Indiana State Normal in September 1900. While teaching college classes, Morgan was elected assistant superintendent of the Terre Haute schools on March 16, 1900. He wrote A Manual of Arithmetic in 1905. On Aug. 1, 1906, he succeeded William H. Wiley, superintendent of the Terre Haute Schools since 1869. Residing at 1633 S. Fifth St., the Morgans began raising four children: Ralph Waldo, Mildred Valeria, William Ray and Margaret Lucille. Morgan resigned in 1908 to pursue graduate work at the University of Chicago, where he earned a masters degree in 1909. Between 1908 and 1912, he taught math at Chicagos University and Englewood high schools. While still a graduate student in March 1912, he was hired by John Edward McGilvrey, 1890 Indiana State Normal alumnus, as director of the Western Normal Training School at Macomb. Serving as acting president of the college, McGilvrey departed a few weeks later to become president of a new normal school in Kent, Ohio. The board of trustees chose Morgan to succeed him effective June 12, 1912. A strict and decisive leader, President Morgan promptly secured appropriations for new buildings and national accreditation for the school as a teachers college. He also began improving its faculty and library. Enrollment gradually increased though Morgan outlawed fraternities and sororities and forbade smoking, drinking and dancing while vigorously supporting the YMCA and YWCA. Morgan eventually relented to allow some dancing in 1920. The multi-purpose Walter Morgan Gymnasium at Western Illinois State Teachers College--the site of many future dances--was dedicated on May 21, 1928. By 1926 Morgans administrative acumen was well known nationally. Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, presented him an honorary doctorate. Enrollment at Western surpassed 1,000 for the first time in 1940 and it was ranked among the nations top 20 teachers colleges. Morgans commitment to Western was unswerving; he even wrote the school song. Under a mandatory retirement policy, after 30 years President Morgan reluctantly became president emeritus on Sept. 1, 1942, at age 70. He died in Macomb on March 31, 1958, at age 86.AAlways Close to HomeMEMBER FDICTerre Haute 238-6000 Brazil 443-4481 Rockville 765-569-3171 Sullivan 268-3331 Clinton 832-3504 Marshall, Illinois 217-826-6311 ... and other cities and towns near you. Also on the web at www.first-online.com
Origin:	2006-04-06
Created By:	McCormick, Mike
Publisher:	Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/vchs/id/1141
Collection:	Vigo County Historical Society
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Teachers colleges Morgan, Walter Piety, 1871-1958 School administrators School superintendents Education People

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