Morgan, William Y., Hon.

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

Hon. William Y. Morgan is one of the men who have attained sufficiency of public distinction so that he might merely give his address as Kansas and every one would know the who's who and who's what about him.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 6, 1866, a son of W. A. and Minnie (Yoast) Morgan. His father served as an officer in the Twenty-third Kentucky Regiment in the Union army, and in 1871 brought his family to Kansas. For forty years he was editor of the Cottonwood Falls Leader and at the same time was prominent in public affairs, was a member of the Legislature, the State Senate, and was department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Morgan's mother was department president of the Woman's Relief Corps and was an active newspaper woman and prominent in the public life of women in Kansas.

William Y. Morgan was educated in the University of Kansas, graduating with the degree A. B. in the class of 1885. He has always been deeply interested in the state university, served four years as regent, and is a loyal member of the college fraternity Phi Gamma Delta.

Practical experience in journalism, which has been his chief business interest all his active career, he first gained as a reporter for the Lawrence Journal during 1886-88. In 1888 Mr. Morgan bought the Strong City Republican, but sold it in 1892 and then became proprietor of the Emporia Gazette, which he in 1895 sold to William Allen White. On selling the Gazstte Mr. Morgan bought the Hutchinson News, and has been its owner and editor ever since. Thus his real residence, so far as the exact city is concerned, is and has been for years Hutchinson. In 1914 Mr. Morgan was elected a director of the Associated Press. He is one of the principal stockholders and a director of the State Exchange Bank, and has been identified with various Hntchinson enterprises. He has been president of the Hutchinson Y. M. C. A. since its organization in 1909, and has done all he could to forward the work of that organization over the State.

The republican party in Kansas has long felt a special pride in being able to name William Y. Morgan as one of its most influential leaders. He has often served as chairman of county organizations, and in 1916 was a delegate to the Republican National Convention and during the following campaign was director of publicity in the western department for the Republican National Committee. Mr. Morgan is a thoroughly progressive republican.

In 1899 he was elected state printer of Kansas, an office he held four years, until 1903. He served as a member of the legislature from 1904 to 1910, and in 1914 was elected to his present office as lieutenant governor of Kansas. In 1916 he was re-elected, and his present term expires in 1918.

Governor Morgan has served as division commander of the Sons of Veterans, is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite and Knight Templar Mason, a member of the Knights of Pythias, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Loyal Legion. He is a Presbyterian, a member of the University Club of Kansas City, the Press Club of Chicago and the National Press Club of Washington, D. C.

While his interests since early childhood have been so closely identified with Kansas, Governor Morgan has exercised the opportunity for extensive travel. He is the author of three travel books: "A Journey of a Jayhawker," "A Jayhawker in Europe," and "The Near East."

Governor Morgan was married at Strong City, Kansas, in November, 1890, to Miss Colie Adair, daughter of Witt Adair. They have one daughter, Claudia.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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