Herman Morris, Jr.
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Herman Morris, Jr. is a lawyer, businessman, and artist who has recently announced his candidacy for mayor of Memphis, Tennessee.
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[edit] Background
Morris was born on January 16, 1951, in Memphis. He grew up in the Binghampton area, where he attended Memphis City Schools. He graduated from Lester High School and attended Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis), where he served as captain of the football team and earned his B.A. in economics in 1973. He then attended Vanderbilt University School of Law, graduating with a J.D. in 1977.
[edit] Professional
After working in private practice with several Memphis law firms, Morris joined Memphis Light, Gas & Water in 1989 as the municipal utility’s first in-house general counsel. In 1997 he was promoted to president and CEO, overseeing 2,700 employees and operating under a $1.5 billion budget. Morris served in this capacity for seven years.
In a highly-visible struggle over the last two years of his tenure, Morris steadfastly stood against plans to possibly sell off the public service utility, the largest triple-service utility in the nation. His refusal to cooperate with such efforts resulted in the city’s mayor refusing to reappoint him to his position in 2003, despite a strong management record. Morris returned to private law practice, where he concentrates on the areas of business, energy, utilities and public policy.
Having lived in Memphis — indeed in the same ZIP code — for most of his life, Morris is highly involved in the community. He has served on the boards of the University of Tennessee Medical Group and the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, and on the advisory board of Bank of America. He is actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America and the United Way of the Mid-South. Morris is also a past president of the Memphis branch of the NAACP. He has been honored with numerous awards, both business-related and philanthropic.
[edit] Personal
Morris has been married for almost 27 years to Brenda Partee Morris, a physician (who professionally goes by the name Brenda D. Partee, M.D.). They have three children. Amanda and Patrick are students at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and Geoffrey is a middle school student in Memphis City Schools.
[edit] Sources
Official Herman Morris for Mayor website
History Makers website
United Way of the Mid-South
