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MONONGALIA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
PJSTON@aol.com
December 5, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II
pg 98
Russell Love Morris, professor of railway and highway engineering of the
School of Engineering at the University of West Virginia, Morgantown, is
descended from four old families of what is now the State of West Virginia,
namely The Morrises, the Russells, the Loves and the Sheltons. His paternal
grandfather, Capt. Joseph Morris, raised a company of volunteer infantry for
the Confederate army during the war between the states, and served as captain
thereof until he met his death during the retreat of General Lee after the
great battle of Gettysburg. He married a Miss Russell, who belonged to the
old and honored Russell family of the Huntington community.
Capt. John O. Morris, son of Capt. Joseph Morris, and father of Russell L.
Morris, was born at his father's home in Teay's Valley near the present Town
of Culloden, in Cabell County, West Virginia. He served as first sergeant in
his father's company during the war between the states, and after the elder
man's death succeeded to the command. He later was commissioned captain, and
served gallantly with General Lee until the final surrender of that great
general at Appomattox. After the war he served alternately as deputy sheriff
and sheriff of Putnam County for many years, and late in life located at
Huntington, where he died. His wife, Eliza Love, who is still living at
Huntington, was born in Teay's Valley, a daughter of William A. Love, who was
a large land owner of that valley, where he was an early settler, and prior
to the war between the states was a slaveholder.
Russell Love Morris was born in Teay's Valley, near the present Post Office
of Teay's, in Putnam County, West Virginia, November 4, 1868, a son of Capt.
John O. Morris. After attending the free schools of his district and
spending one term in the graded school at Alderson he entered the University
of West Virginia in 1885, and in 1895 was graduated with the degree of
Bachelor of Civil Engineering, two years later receiving his Master's degree.
Between the time of entering and graduation he spent four years away from
the university, engaged at various kinds of employment. He became an
instructor in the engineering department in 1895, and from that year on has
been a member of the faculty of the university in one capacity or another,
continuously, having the distinction of having taught continuously in the
institution for a longer period than any other instructor now or ever
identified with the University of West Virginia. During the long period of
twenty-six years he has been actively engaged, also, in business affairs,
principally along the lines of civil engineering and in opening up city
property for the market, on his own account chiefly. He has gained something
more than a local reputa(tion) as an expert in laying out allotments, and in
this class of work his services have been in demand in all parts of West
Virginia as well as sections of Kentucky and Maryland. Professor Morris owns
some city property at Morgantown, and is interested in agriculture and other
business enterprises. Fraternally he is identified with Morgantown Union
Lodge No. 4, A. F. and A. M., and with the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.
On December 21, 1900, Professor Morris married Miss Olive Hite, daughter of
Isaac and Catherine (Hennen) Hite, of two old and honored Morgantown
families, and to this union there has come one son, John Hite, born in 1911.
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