Class Notes

graduated with honors from the Florida State University College of LAw in MAy 2012. Hannah accepted a federal clerkship for the Honorable Robert L. Hinkle.

Stanley James Mont, 83, of Morris Township, NJ passed away on February 22, 2020 in Morristown, NJ. He was born in the Bronx, NYC, NY on June 11, 1936 to Theodore and Nellie (Callen) Mont. He graduated from Hightstown, NJ High School in 1954 and then went on to earn a BA in English from Maryville College in Maryville, TN in 1958. He and classmate Paula Kronenberg were married the afternoon of graduation day. Stan then went to Princeton Theological Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree in 1961. During his lifetime Stan had three careers. As an ordained Presbyterian Minister he served the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD as Associate Minister. He also served the First Presbyterian Church of Atco, NJ as Minister for several years. He then went into Human Resources, working in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA. He concluded his career in HR as Vice President of Personnel, Macy’s East in New York City. During the sixteen years he was with Macy’s (1979-1995) a fun task for him was leading the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade down Broadway to Herald Square. After retiring from Macy’s he worked as the Fly Fishing Department Manager and fly fishing instructor for The Sports People Store in Far Hills, NJ teaching a sport he loved to adults and children. Over the years Stan was a man with various hobbies and interests. He was a lifelong reader of books on many subjects. He enjoyed hiking, running, bird watching, photography, water-color painting, traveling, genealogy and star gazing. Stan is survived by his wife of 62 years, Paula, of Morris Township, NJ, their daughter Karen (Bill) Hoffman, son Andrew (Kristina) Mont, granddaughter Alexis Hoffman, brothers Ted (Martha) Mont and Bill (Kathy) Mont and their children and grandchildren. The family would be pleased if memorial donations were made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.stjude.org, or the Shriners Hospital for Children, Attn: Office of Development, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607 or online at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org We wish to extend our gratitude to the people of RWJ University Hospital, Somerset, NJ and to Care One at Madison in Morristown. Stanley was loved by many and will be greatly missed. He is now at peace. May the Lord bless him and keep him now and forever.

age 82, of Blacksburg, Va., died on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Wife, Mother, Educator, Artist-Mrs. Montgomery was born in Watertown, Tenn., the daughter of the late Jesse and Arnelle Blackshear. She was preceded in death by her sister, Martha Simpson and brother-in-law, John Simpson, of Knoxville, Tenn. She is survived by her husband, James R. Montgomery. Mary graduated from Maryville College and received a masters degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Mary and Jim initially lived in Knoxville, Tenn., where she taught elementary school. In Knoxville, she belonged to the Akima Club and took an active part in the development of the Knoxville Children’s Museum. After moving to Blacksburg, Va., Mary continued to teach first grade, a great love of hers. She also served as assistant principal when Harding Avenue Elementary School opened. Mary was an active member in Blacksburg United Methodist Church, Circle 5 of that church, Pairs & Spares Sunday School Class, Virginia Tech Faculty Women’s Club, Blacksburg Regional Art Association, Mountain View Garden Club, Harts, and T.N.T. Book Club. After retirement from the schools and with the children grown, she turned to watercolor painting. Mary showed her paintings in numerous exhibits, and many are found in homes in the Blacksburg area. Other survivors include her son, Charles T. Montgomery and daughter-in-law, Catherine, of Richmond, Va.; son, James B. Montgomery and daughter-in-law, Diane, of Radford, Va.; and daughter, April D. Montgomery and son-in-law, Kelvin Verity, of Norwood, Colo. She is survived by five grandchildren, T.J. Montgomery and wife, Kati, Meagan Montgomery, Ivy Montgomery, Suzannah Montgomery, and M. John Montgomery; and one great-grandchild, Sadi Montgomery. A Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, 2013, at Blacksburg United Methodist Church.

J. Esther Montgomery, 103, born March, 1913, near Greenback, TN departed life here on earth to dwell in the Kingdom of God forever on June 3, 2016. Esther was a college professor and retired from Tennessee Technological University in 1975 after teaching Home Economics since 1951. She also taught at Howard School in Blount County and worked in the P.T. lab during World War II. Since retirement, she was an avid genealogist. Esther received her undergraduate degree from Maryville College and her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. Education and continuing education, whether formal or informal, was always very important to her. An active member and teacher of Oakland United Methodist Church in Greenback, she also attended St. John UMC, in Maryville, and Cookeville UMC in Cookeville when she could not be at Oakland. She was a devoted daughter of James Calvin Montgomery, deceased 5/11/1965, and Johnnie McInturff Montgomery, deceased 8/4/1936. She was preceded in death by siblings, Nellie Montgomery, Calvin Chester Montgomery, Caralee Montgomery and Mildred Montgomery Janeway. Surviving family members are nieces and nephews: Mike Janeway (Ella Kline); Helen Janeway Stanley (Tom); Stanley Janeway (Brenda); and Mary Janeway Hawkins (Gregg). And 5 great-nephews: Stephen and David Stanley, Alex Janeway, Ray and Mark Janeway. Special, devoted friends, Fran (Ron) Kemp and Mark Bennett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oakland UMC building or cemetery fund, or to the Holston Children’s Home.

Dr. Montgomery ’72 has compiled the Bibliography for Scotch-Irish (Scots-Irish) Studies. This bibliography lists 1600 books, articles, and other publications that in some fashion and over the past four centuries connect Ireland (usually Ulster) to either Scotland or North America. It seeks to bring together publications that all too often fall between the cracks (or stools) of existing bibliographies, especially ones of Irish Studies. Central to its focus are emigrants from Ulster from the early-18th century until about 1830 and their descendants until the present day. Within this focus is emphasized the extensive pre-Revolutionary stream of emigrants into the American interior, a region often referred to as the “backcountry.” More here: http://www.scotch-irishsocietyusa.org/research.php#abilb

Michael Bryant Montgomery, age 69, of Lexington, SC, formerly of Knoxville, TN, passed away on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Michael was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. and a graduate of Holston High School (class of 1968), Maryville College (B.A.), the University of Tennessee (M.A.), and the University of Florida (Ph.D in Linguistics). He was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Linguistics at the University of South Carolina and a renowned expert on Southern American English, Appalachian English, Ulster Scots, and the Scots-Irish influence on American English. Michael was an author of numerous scholarly articles and books, including Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English (co-author, 2004); Language. Volume 5 of New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (co-editor, 2007); From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish History of American English (2017); and Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English (co-author, forthcoming). He was co-host of a website on Appalachian English, at: http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/. His honors included the 2004 Wilma Dykeman Award for Historical Writing from the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Cratis D. Williams/James Brown Award from the Appalachian Studies Association, one of the Top 100 Most influential People in the Great Smoky Mountains History by the Great Smoky Mountains Association, and a Grammy nomination for the music CD “Old Time Smoky Mountain Music.” He was Past President of the American Dialect Society, the Southeastern Conference on Linguistic, and the Ulster Scots Language Society. Michael was preceded in death by his parents Bryant Smith Montgomery and Ann Cunningham Montgomery. He was survived by his sister Marcia Ann Montgomery, sister Karen Montgomery Atchley and husband Philip Earl Atchley, brother David Arthur Montgomery and wife Maria Montgomery, nieces Rachel Elaine Atchley and Julia Bess Lopez, and nephews Philip Marcus Atchley, Michael David Montgomery, Victor Bryant Montgomery, and Daniel Arthur Montgomery. The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until 2:00 pm on August 1, 2019 at ROSE MORTUARY BROADWAY CHAPEL, Knoxville, TN. Family and friends will meet at 2:45 pm on August 1, 2019 at Greenwood Cemetery, Knoxville, TN for a 3:00 pm graveside service. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to World Vision, Federal Way, WA; or to Estate of Michael Montgomery (for publication of Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English), 298 Walker Road, Jellico, TN 37762. Online obituary may be viewed and condolences extended at www.rosemortuary.com.

#InspiringMCAlumni Michael Montgomery ’72 (1950 – 2019) would have been able to translate any of these Appalachian expressions to a traveler unfamiliar with the local vernacular: “frog-strangler,” “flusterate,” “ante-over,” “jackleg,” and “catawampus.” Published this year, The Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English is a revised and expanded edition of the Weatherford Award?winning Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English, published in 2005 and known in Appalachian studies circles as the most comprehensive reference work dedicated to Appalachian vernacular and linguistic practice. Editors Michael B. Montgomery and Jennifer K. N. Heinmiller document the variety of English used in parts of eight states, ranging from West Virginia to Georgia. Decades in the making, the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English surpasses the original by thousands of entries. There is no work of this magnitude available that so completely illustrates the rich language of the Smoky Mountains and Southern Appalachia.

beloved mother and grandmother passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 in Troy, New York. Ann graduated Maryville College and worked as an administrative assistant at The King’s College in Briarcliff Manor. She is survived by her five daughters Deborah, Pamela, Dale, Faith and Hope. Ann also leaves behind 15 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Friends will be received at the Grace Baptist Church, 12 Orchard Ridge Road, Chappaqua, NY on Sunday, November 23, from 2pm – 3pm; with the funeral service beginning at 3pm. Friends are invited to meet the family at Ballard-Durand FH Monday, November 24, at 9am so we may process to Cloverleaf Memorial Park in Woodbridge, New Jersey for the interment.

Sandra Moon, age 78, of Cranberry Township (Twp.), Pa., passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 surrounded by her loving family. Born July 24, 1940, daughter of the late Paul and Frances Chidester; beloved wife of David M. Moon; loving mother of Kristi (Rich) Miller, KeriLee (Larry) Eddy, Kevin Moon, Kim (Brian) Estep, Tom (Maryll) Moon, Kelly (Brian) Lohr, Kari Ann Domanick, and Kyle Moon; proud grandma of Arika, Ben, Carlos, Carmen, Caroline, Claudia, David, Deonte, Emily, Jay, Jazmine, Kate, Kara, Kody, Mackenzie, Megan, Nicolas, Sami, Sean, and Sierra; great-grandma of Carlos Jr., Immanuel, Mia, and Shannon; and dear sister of Janis (Andy) Chidester Chalmers. Aunt of Jonathon (Christine) Chalmers. A Memorial Service was held Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 1 pm at Sherwood Oaks, Cranberry Twp. Private Interment will be held at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Mount Clare, West Virginia. Sandy received her B.A. in Christian Education Davis and Elkins College and her M.A. in Counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Sandy’s hobbies included travel and spending time with her grandchildren.

passed away February 27, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Lynn and children James D Moore and Barbara Nowling

peacefully went to be with her Lord on November 7th, 2014 at Givens Highland Farms in Black Mountain, NC from the complications of advanced Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 86. Katherine was born March 26, 1928 in what is now Chunju, South Korea to the late Rev. Elmer T. and Gladys (Perkins) Boyer who were serving as missionaries there with the (Southern) Presbyterian Church US. She spent most of her childhood in Korea and briefly attended PyengYang Foreign School (in what is now PyongYang, North Korea) until her family was evacuated to the US at the beginning of WW II. Kathy graduated from Maryville College in Maryville, TN, and then attended the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA where she met and married her husband, Rev. John Venable Moore, from Charleston, WV, on December 15, 1951. After completing graduate school, the couple moved to West Virginia, where they served two rural churches and John also taught at Davis and Elkins College, in Elkins, WV. After the births of their first two children in 1953 and 1955, Kathy and John were commissioned as Presbyterian missionaries to South Korea. Their third child was born on the mission field where they served for 36 years (1955-1991) in several capacities and locations. In addition to raising her three sons and supporting the work of her husband, Kathy led women’s bible studies, enjoyed playing the piano and helped to start the library at Taejon Presbyterian College (now called Han Nam University) in Taejon, South Korea. One of her joys was to provide hospitality to people from all over the world who came to see the work of the Presbyterian Mission in Korea. The sons also remember a highlight of most summers in Korea when the family spent several weeks up Mt. Chidi in either a squad tent or rustic cabin. After retirement from the mission field in 1991, they moved to Black Mountain, NC where Kathy and John were very active with Black Mountain Presbyterian Church and Kiwanis Thrift Shop. Kathy will be remembered as a woman of deep faith, whose actions truly reflected her belief that life is to be spent in service to others and for her love and devotion to the life and work of her husband of 61 years. Kathy was predeceased by her husband (10/9/2013), parents and two sisters (Margaret Boyer Dickenson and Helen Boyer Bennett). She is survived by her sons, David Venable Moore (Beth Freeman Moore), William Lloyd Moore (Ann Cho Moore) and Frederick Ernest Moore (Jo Ann Webb Moore); grandchildren, John Cho Moore (Kanna Livingston Moore), Catherine Venable Moore (and her mother Susan Pierson Moore), Ginny McNeill Roper Buddenberg (Andrew Buddenberg), Paul Boyer Moore, Sarah Helen Moore, Laura Allison Moore Dille (Mark Adam Dille), and Hannah Ruth Moore; great-grandchild Noelle Terada Moore; siblings Elizabeth A. Boyer and Kenneth E. Boyer (Sylvia H. Boyer); brothers-in-law, Dan D. Dickenson, and Don P. Bennett, as well as multiple nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; and his children, Robert (Kim), Scott (Maureen) and Lisa (Dan). He was the grandfather of Kelly (Kyle); and great-grandfather of Lyla and Colton. He was a graduate of Doylestown High School and Maryville College. He served during World War II , and was active for many years with the Boy Scouts of America. The family will receive guests starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24, followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church, 1401 Meetinghouse Road, Hartsville.

recently earned his PhD in Quantitative Methods in Education from the University of Minnesota. He works as a Data Scientist in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

John R. Moore passed away on July 9, 2019.

Jean Anne Jerney Moore

(January 15, 1943 – August 24, 2023)

Jean Anne Moore, 80, of Fountain City, TN, made her final journey home to the Lord on August 24, 2023. She passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by family.

Jean was born on January 15, 1943, in Johnstown, PA. She graduated from Richland High School, where she met her high school sweetheart, the love of her life, D.J. Moore. They married and later built a beautiful life together with their two children in East Tennessee. Jean was a Registered Nurse. She graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in 1963.

Jean Moore is survived by her husband of 58 years, D.J. Moore, son, daughter, granddaughters, and great granddaughter. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Julia Jerney; sister, Margaret “Peggy” Kellner; and grandson, Joshua Moore.

February 13, 2011, in a head-on collision in Ovedo, FL. He was a community service officer with the University of Central Florida Police Department and was scheduled to begin the Police Academy at Seminole State College in February. Survivors include his parents, one brother, four sisters and grandparents.

Ruth E. Morgan, born on August 31, 1931, died peacefully in her own home, surrounded by loved ones, on Saturday, February 8, 2020. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Russell R. Morgan, and grandson, Zachary Aicher. Surviving her are her sisters, Margaret White and Katherine McNiel and their children and grandchildren. Also surviving are her children, Linda Morgan-Clement (Michael), Carol Antoniewicz (Kerry), Thomas Morgan (Nicola), William Morgan (Jeremy), Mark Morgan (Amy), and Kristin Aicher (Michael) and nine grandchildren. We thank you for your fierce and loyal love and the music of your life in ours. In life and in death we belong to God, with Daddy you are now at peace; well done good and faithful servant. Arrangements for a Celebration of Life service are pending. Memorials may be made to the Mission, Outreach, and Peacemaking Committee, Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 812 Hopewell Street, Dandridge, TN, 37725.

Frances P. Morgan, 89, daughter of William Clarence Barr and Mellye Frances Barr, died Sunday the 26th of May at Sanders Assisted Living in Gloucester, VA. Born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, Frances was the fourth of five children. She was the first female mathematician employed by the Union Carbide Corporation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the early days of computers. After taking time off to raise a family, Frances returned to work as a computer programmer. Frances and her family moved to Colorado in 1970 and it was there that she developed her love for the outdoors and her beloved Rocky Mountains. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Frances enjoyed downhill skiing, hiking, biking, golf, and swimming. She will always be remembered for her big smile and her availability to help get things done. She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Lee Morgan Jr., and her four siblings: William Clarence Barr Jr., Harold Barr, Evelyn Goad, and Graham Barr. She is survived by her three children: Mary Frances Morgan (Port Haywood, VA), William Lee Morgan (Phoenix, AZ), and James Ronald Morgan (Brooklyn, NY). As per request, there will be no formal memorial services. A donation in Frances’ name may be made to the charity of your choice in accordance with the motto “always lend a helping hand.” The Morgans would like to extend a special thank you to Cora, Terry, and the staff at Sanders Assisted Living for making a wonderful home and providing exceptional comfort care for Frances. Faulkner Funeral Homes, Foster-Faulkner Chapel, Mathews, VA is assisting the family.

David Walter Morris, age 81, of Augusta WV, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 12, 2020 due to complications of an auto accident on January 4th. Preceded in death by parents George and Irene (nee Harding), he is survived by loving wife Elaine (nee Brininger); elder brother George Earl Jr.; children Jonathan, Andrew, Daniel, Kate, Jennifer, and Patrick as well as eight grandchildren. He is also survived by former spouses Tina (Keyes) and Maureen Kelleher. Visit Tribute here: https://www.giffinfuneralhome.com/obituaries/David-W-Morris?obId=10588972 After a long and complex life he will be remembered by many in different ways, including but by no means limited to father, husband, brother, minister, executive, recruiter, counselor, and friend. He loved bluegrass banjo, golfing, indulging his sweet tooth and spinning the truth into elaborate and awe-inspiring tales. He was never one to conform to expectations. After being refused by Elaine while they attended Maryville College in Tennessee, he surprised her with a second proposal on campus after they had reconnected at their 50th reunion. Informed by doctors that he would never father children due to an injury sustained as a teenager, he went on to father four and adopt two more. An ordained minister, he went on to a career in large corporations in Connecticut and New York, closing his career in the field of executive search with WTW and Associates in Manhattan. After arriving in West Virginia, David became involved with efforts to found The River House, a local community arts space in Capon Bridge. His efforts helped provide the area with a lively and engaging resource for friendship, music, art and community. David marched to his own drummer and stayed true to himself to the end. A true raconteur and gadabout, he never passed on a beer, a Winston, a great story, or a good joke. He often claimed he was “only renting space on this planet.” If that’s true his lease must not yet have expired because many who knew him feel a vacancy in their hearts; one that may never be filled. A Celebration of Life will be held at Central Methodist Church, Capon Bridge WV on February 8, 2020 at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either Maryville College or to the River House. In memory of David W Morris (class of ’60) Maryville College Office of Institutional Advancement 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway Maryville, TN 37804 Or online at https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/giving/give-today/ The River House P.O. Box 240, Capon Bridge, WV 26711 Or online https://www.theriverhousewv.org/

Linda Elizabeth Wherry Morris, 81, of Harrisonburg, Va., passed away Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at Sunnyside Retirement Community. Born Saturday, March 1, 1941, in Lakeland, Fla., she was a daughter of the late James Irwin and Katherine Brakefield Wherry.

Linda was an active member of her church community wherever she lived. A lifelong Presbyterian, she contributed to the church at the local, presbytery, and synod levels. She was also a board member of the Sunnyside Retirement Community for 17 years.

Surviving is her husband of 58 years, Terry Lester Morris. Also surviving are a son, Irwin Morris and wife, Chris, of Cary, N.C.; and two grandchildren, Madeline Morris of Athens, Ga., and Cameron Morris of Raleigh, N.C.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a stepbrother, James Wherry and stepsister, Mary Marie Baker.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of John Skellie Morris of Leesburg, Florida, who passed away on August 13, 2023, at the age of 69, leaving to mourn family and friends. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family.

He was predeceased by his parents, R. J. Morris and Georgiana Morris of Leesburg. He is survived by : his siblings, Bob Morris (Debbie) of Winter Park, FL, Danny Morris (Nancy) of Yalaha, FL and Carol Ann Smith (Pen) of Pittman, FL. He is also survived by six nieces and nephews, and seven grandnieces and grandnephews.

2013 marks the 50th anniversary for membership in the North Carolina State Bar. Both he and his wife were invited to be guests at their State Bar's annual 50-Year Lawyers' Luncheon. He was presented with a certificate commemorating his anniversary.

This article was shared by the Hon. Fred Morrison, Jr. from Administrative Lawyer, Published by the Administrative Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association • Vol. 28, No. 1 • January 2015 • www.ncbar.org (See Magic Folder for full newsletter)

A Year Of Recognition By Evan Lohr
For more than five decades, Fred Gilbert Morrison Jr. has epitomized the ideals of the legal profession. This past July, Judge Morrison was recognized at the Wake County Bar Association's monthly luncheon for his 50 years in practice. In October, he received an award recognizing his 45 years of service to the state of North Carolina – in his case a pocket watch in a case bearing the state seal of North Carolina. This recognition was for nearly 29 years as an Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings, four as solicitor of the Thomasville Recorders Court, more than six as the first executive director of the North Carolina Inmate Grievance Commission, and more than five as legal counsel to Governors Scott and Holshouser.
Raised in East Tennessee, Judge Morrison attended Maryville College and the law school at Wake Forest. In the following interview with the Administrative Lawyer, he looks back at his career and to the future of the legal profession.
Evan Lohr: Judge, in July you were among a small group of Wake County lawyers recognized for having practiced law for 50 years. What did that mean to you?
Judge Fred Morrison: On August 16, all five of those who were recognized will have 51 years in practice. I got my license on that day in 1963. I'm happy to have made it this far. It meant a lot to be included with those other lawyers, particularly Judge Ralph Walker. He's here in Wake County and we were classmates all three years at Wake Forest, passed the bar together, and have kept up with each other over the years.
EL: Your formative years were spent in the town of Newport in east Tennessee. How did growing up in Newport affect your career and were there any lawyers there that inspired you?
JFM: Newport is very small – there aren't very many people there at all. I went through grade school there, then Cocke County High School. I think there were 112 people in my class in a countywide high school. It was sparsely populated.
More than anything, my teachers – in grammar school and high school – I was very motivated by them, particularly to read a lot. From a young age on, I always loved to read and I think that's very important for a lawyer. The lawyers there that inspired me – I can remember them – they didn't live far from the house: Fred Myers, he was one of the prominent ones, Judge Shepherd was one, and Roy Campbell was an attorney and he still is an attorney. He's probably in his 90's now, and he was also a Sunday school teacher in the First United Methodist Church when I was young, and that impressed me and I've kept up with him over the years.
EL: What led you to attend law school? Why did you choose to attend Wake Forest?
JFM: I came home after three years at Maryville College for the summer and I was majoring in business administration to go into my father's small furniture business. I'd still liked to read at Maryville. I read all the paperbacks – Erle Stanley Gardner and so forth – and I thought about whether I wanted to go back to Maryville for the final year and get the business administration degree or to go to law school.
One day I rode over to Wake Forest and I went to the law school and asked to speak to the dean. I met with Dean Weathers, who was from Raleigh, and had been a prominent lawyer here. He said that they had a program there that you could go three years undergrad and if you wanted to go to law school, after your first year of law school, they would give you your undergraduate degree, and after the next two years, they would give you your law degree. So he said he would let me in under that program after three years if I would take two courses that summer and make a B or better in them and make a modest score on the LSAT. I took the LSAT and went to High Point College for the two courses and I notified Dean Weathers and he said he would admit me.
When the day came to go over there and sign up, I hadn't worked enough – hadn't made enough money to go – so I didn't go for the registration day. Dean Weathers called me at home that afternoon and asked me why I hadn't come and I told him. He told me that if I wanted to go I should come over and register and that we'd work all of the other things out. So I went and he got me in touch with the loan person at Wake Forest, and he said if I did well after the first semester he'd consider a scholarship. And I ended up with a small scholarship.
I think, basically, that I was really impressed with Dean Carroll Weathers. He interviewed every student that applied. I'm not sure they do that today.
EL: You have described your proudest moment as an attorney as your appointment by Governor Bob Scott as Legal Counsel to the Governor. How did that come about? How did that ultimately affect your career?
JFM: Very much so. I graduated law school, and had an opportunity to clerk for a Supreme Court justice here, but also to go to work for a man in Thomasville, E.W. Hooper. He had given me the keys to his office the first semester I was at Wake Forest. I could work there, and use his books and all of that. So he offered me an associate position which I accepted, and I worked with Mr. Hooper about a year and a half.
In 1965 Governor Moore appointed me the solicitor of the Recorder's Court in Thomasville. I did that for four years. In 1967 I was the President of the Jaycees so I invited the lieutenant governor, Bob Scott, to come ride in our parade, and he accepted and asked if I would get a few Jaycees together for coffee, which I did. And he told us he wanted young people involved in his campaign, so I was the young voter coordinator in Davidson County for his primary, and after he won that I was coordinator of Davidson, Iredell, Davie, and Rowan Counties. So after he was elected in 1968, he called me, and said he and his wife were coming through town to go to Lincolnton to pick out her inaugural gown, and asked if I would meet him for a cup of coffee. That's where he asked me if I would come to Raleigh as his legal counsel and I said yes.
So I went to Raleigh and served four years with him, and then he went out of office. I had known a lot of Jaycees throughout the state, and so I knew Governor Holshouser, and he kept me on for a year and a half into his term. So Bob Scott brought me to Raleigh, or I wouldn't be sitting here talking with you today.
EL: Chief Justice Mitchell mentioned in his remarks that you are the only lawyer to ever serve as legal counsel to North Carolina governors of both major parties. What personal and professional qualities allowed you to bridge the partisan gap?
JFM: I think being a member of and my association with the North Carolina Jaycees. I was president of the Thomasville Jaycees, then was legal counsel to the North Carolina Jaycees, and then President of the North Carolina Jaycees. In that time we were all Jaycees, we didn't really look at each other as Democrats or Republicans and so I had friends in both political parties who were friends of both Bob Scott and Jim Holshouser. So when Governor Holshouser got elected – he had been a Jaycee in Boone and had come to some meetings – he asked me if I would stay on and I agreed.
EL: Justice Mitchell also told a story about when Governor Scott announced at the 1972 Wake County Chitlin' Strut that he was apappointing you to a superior court judgeship – a position that you later turned down to become the first executive director of the North Carolina Inmate Grievance Commission – a largely thankless job working on behalf of some of our state's most forgotten people. Why did you choose that path? What drew you to the work of the IGC and what did you learn from the experiences you had there?
JFM: Growing up in Newport my daddy used to take me on Sundays to the jail to visit the inmates, sort of a ministry he had. Like Jesus said, "I was sick and in prison and you visited me." When I came on with Governor Scott, one of the things I did was coordinate with prisons, probation, and paroles. In that position, I got to know and visit the prisons. And then as legal counsel and state president of the Jaycees, we formed Jaycee chapters in about 40 to 45 prisons across the state. One of the people I met was John Campbell, who was an inmate at Central Prison, they had a Jaycee chapter over there, and I made him an associate secretary of the North Carolina Jaycees.
So my childhood experiences, involvement with the work of the NC Bar Association under Governor Scott and with the Jaycees, led me to believe it was a calling or something that I'd enjoy doing, and that I wanted to do more with this cause than become a superior court judge.
EL: What is the most memorable case you have heard in 28 years as an Administrative Law Judge?
JFM: The possum drop case, for one, as it is still under dispute with New Year's Eve approaching and a constitutional question case pending in Wake Superior Court. This case was especially interesting for me because Governor Scott had had a possum dinner – a black tie dinner – at the Governor's Mansion. There have been a lot of other memorable cases in 28 ˝ years. One of them was a significant case involving the death penalty controversy going on right now regarding whether the death penalty procedure is cruel and unusual punishment. This case was filed in 2007 and it was for the approval of the execution protocol – a three-drug cocktail that was being used. The first drug was to anesthetize the person, the second to paralyze them, and the third is the shot that really burns the heart to kill them. If the first doesn't really anesthetize them, then they can feel things and they're not totally out, and the second one paralyzes them to the extent that when they administer the third one, which everyone admitted that the third one alone would be inhumane, but because of the second drug they can't show that. So, I ruled in the petitioners' favor, but then it went through the Council of State and the Supreme Court, and they avoided the issue (merits) by saying OAH didn't have jurisdiction.
EL: During your career, you have occupied the roles of advocate, advisor, and judge. How has each role prepared you for the next and what advice would you give a lawyer seeking to change roles?
JFM: I think that if you look at it, I've always looked at it, and Dean Weathers was good about it, that you're an advocate for the public. At the same time as being an advocate for your client, you're an advocate for our judicial system. We settle our disputes not by guns and knives and duels, but by the law. You're an officer of the court, whether you're a lawyer, a mediator, or whether you're advising a governor, it's a public service. As a lawyer, an advisor, or judge you're an officer of the court, and I think each role prepared me for the next by being open to that. Also, realizing that you're investing a part of your life in the parties before you and their dispute gives this work special meaning.
EL: All people experience challenging times in their lives and careers, and lawyers are especially prone to these challenges. How did you manage the more difficult times in your life and career?
JFM: I think it's like Winston Churchill said when he was asked to come to speak at a graduation ceremony. I think he got up and his speech was as follows: "Young gentlemen, never give up, young gentlemen I say, never give up." The tough times, it's that never give up, persevere, and take life a day at a time, don't live in the past, and don't worry about the past or what's going to happen to you next week. Take one day at a time. Learn from the past. I've had some ups and downs, and I'm going to have some more. I am not going to give up! I am pressing on.
EL: What are the most important lessons you learned from your mentors?
JFM: Judge Roy Hughes, I'll never forget him. When I was appointed solicitor of the court in Thomasville, he was the judge. He was very calm and very polite and tried to do the right thing. He was a Sunday school teacher up there, and said, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." So if you have good thoughts, you'll have good actions.
Dean Weathers was a good mentor; he wanted us to be involved in our community, not just with the law every day. You have a family life, a community life, and then a legal career. Now we have continuing legal education, and a certain number of those hours have to be ethics-related. I can remember Dean Weathers sitting on his desk saying, "young gentlemen, you can do so and so. Young gentlemen, don't do it."
EL: Can you share an interesting or particularly fond recollection from your time in practice?
JFM: Well, the first one is when I was just out of law school, the youngest lawyer in Thomasville, working for E.W. Hooper. My first brief was for a Supreme Court case and we came down to Raleigh and argued it and afterwards went down to the old 42nd Street Oyster Bar and I had steamed oysters and beer in a frosted mug for the first time. We did not see many oysters when I was growing up in the mountains of east Tennessee.
Another one was as the youngest lawyer, I got a call to Denton, North Carolina, and was told Judge Ruth Garner of the Denton Recorder's Court wanted me to come and prosecute her docket. It would've been my first trial and I was worried to death. I drove down there and I found the courthouse and it was in the back of a fire station. I went in there and Judge Garner was the judge – her husband had been a judge and was a lawyer – but she wasn't a lawyer – you didn't have to be back then. I became a life-long confidante of hers. And so that is a particularly fond memory because of the history that we had from back in Thomasville until she passed away.
EL: How has the practice of law changed over the course of your career?
JFM: When I started we didn't have computers and Internet and now e-filing is coming and we have a goal of being paperless at the OAH. We've got WestLaw, Lexis and all of these other things we didn't have. We did have the North Carolina General Statutes and the North Carolina Reports but they only came out periodically. And the practice of law has become much more specialized.
EL: What do you see for the future of the legal profession?
JFM: Paperless. That's what it's coming to. Someday even exhibits will be, I would imagine. We have telephone hearings now in Medicaid, and we're moving away from the traditional trial as more and more efforts are directed toward settlements.
EL: Thank you for your time, Judge, and congratulations on a remarkable career.
Evan Lohr is an associate with Hansen Law Firm in Raleigh. His practice is focused on land use, real estate litigation, eminent domain, and administrative law.

was awarded the Richard Caswell Award on Aug. 15, 2015. In a ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History, Judge Morrison was recognized for 45 years of service to the State of North Carolina.

January 22, 2020. Judge Fred G. Morrison, Jr., 1961, senior administrative law judge in the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, receives 50 year State Service Award. The Excellence in Service Awards celebrate North Carolina’s public servants and connects them with the heritage, symbols, and traditions of the state. Judge Morrison has served the people of NC form more than 50 years as an Administrative Law Judge, solicitor, Legal counsel to two former governors and as the first executive director of the Inmate Grievance Commission. In these pictures, he is with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, Cheri Beasley.