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Draft:William R. Morris (attorney)

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William Morris, William Richard Morris, and William R. Morris should link here

William Richard Morris Sr. (1859-December 13, 1928) was an attorney and activist in the United States.[1] He and two other attorneys were kicked out of the American Bar Association (ABA) after the group realized they were Black. The ABA imposed a rule that applicants must disclose their "race". The New York Times headlined their August 1912 article on the events "Negro Lawyer Out of Bar Association".[2]

He was a Fisk University faculty member from 1884-1889. He moved to Minneapolis in 1889 and became the first Black lawyer in Hennepin County, Minnesota. He served as Executive Chairman of the Minneapolis NAACP. He founded the Afro-American Law Enforcement League in Minneapolis. He was Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.[3]

Further readings

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  • "Hon. William Richard Morris" Wisconsin Weekly Advocate January 25, 1906, page 1
  • "Funeral services for William Morris, Sr." Inter-State Tattler December 28, 1928, page 13

References

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  1. ^ "Morris, William R., Sr. · Notable Kentucky African Americans Database". nkaa.uky.edu.
  2. ^ "NEGRO LAWYER OUT OF BAR ASSOCIATION; William Morris Resigns After Committee Reverses Ruling Which Unseats Him". The New York Times. August 29, 1912 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ "William Morris Sr., Lawyer, and Professor, born". African American Registry.