Frank B. Morrison

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Frank Brenner Morrison (May 20, 1905–April 19, 2004) served as the Governor of the U.S. state of Nebraska from 1961 to 1967, representing the Democratic Party. He also ran for U.S. Senate in 1958, 1966 and 1970 but lost all three elections. He lost to Roman L. Hruska in 1958 and 1970 while in 1966 he lost to Carl T. Curtis. He also ran for the U.S. House of Representatives twice in 1948 and 1954. He had previously served as the chair of Frontier Country Democratic Party.

Morrison was born in Golden, Colorado, and attended high school in Manhattan, Kansas. He died in 2004 of cancer in the McCook Community Hospital, McCook, Nebraska, one month short of his 99th birthday. His son, Frank B. Morrison, Jr. (1937 - 2006) was a justice on the Montana Supreme Court. His grandson, John Morrison, is the current State Auditor of Montana and was a 2006 Senate candidate.

Frank Morrison was the driving force behind the construction of The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney, Nebraska. A bust of his face can be seen at the entrance to the monument. The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument gained fame by being featured in the movie About Schmidt with Jack Nicholson.

Frank Morrison wrote an autobiography, My Journey Through the Twentieth Century in 2001. Politically, he was a traditional Democrat who fought for the poor and disenfranchised. He was a confidant of both LBJ and JFK, and was summoned to the White House immediately after JFK was assassinated.

With his keen mind and sharp wit, he was a renowned storyteller, especially in his later years. He left an indelible mark on the people of Nebraska, in particular on those who had the good fortune of knowing him.

See also: List of Governors of Nebraska