John A. Morgan

John A. Morgan, 91, longtime Kansas City resident and community leader, died Tuesday, January 23, 2007, surrounded by his loving family. Mr. Morgan, known as Jack to his family, friends and business associates, was born to Maud Swaim Morgan and Leo O. Morgan on September 4th, 1915, in Wichita, Kansas. He was raised in Wichita and graduated from Wichita University in 1937. Mr. Morgan attended Harvard Business School and received an MBA in 1939. He moved to Kansas City and began his career at Butler Manufacturing Company in the advertising department. During World War II, Mr. Morgan served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. He met his future wife, Martha Patricia "Pat" Crowe, at a USO dance in New York City, her birthplace and home. Three months later, he left for the Pacific where he served as Captain of the USS SEEKONK. After the war, on March 30th, 1946, Jack and Pat were married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. They moved to Kansas City and established their home here, where they raised six children. Mr. Morgan returned to Butler Manufacturing Company where he quickly rose into management positions. He became General Manager and then President in 1957 and Chairman of the Board in 1967. He retired from Butler in 1974. He cherished his long association with Butler. Known for his integrity and commitment to community, Mr. Morgan was a civic leader for numerous causes. He gave generously of his time and resources in support of many Kansas City based organizations including UMKC, Midwest Research Institute, the Central City Schools, the Missouri Repertory Theatre, the Greater Community Trusts and Foundation, the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Woolf Brothers, Commerce Bank, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Mr. Morgan was a past president of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and was named to the Kansas City Business Hall of Fame. He served on the boards of many other organizations and companies including the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation, the Menninger Foundation, the National Logistics Institute, Western Electric, and Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company. In 1958, Mr. Morgan founded the University Associates, an organization that brought together the University and Kansas City's business and social communities. Mr. Morgan was elected chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kansas City and served in this capacity from 1959 to 1963. He was instrumental in the successful merger between the University of Kansas City and the University of Missouri to create the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1963. Mr. Morgan headed the Fair Housing Campaign in 1968, as well as successfully chaired the campaign to double the earnings tax in 1970 to provide for better police and fire protection in Kansas City. Mr. Morgan was awarded the Chancellor's Medal from the UMKC in 1964 and received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1997 for his lifelong efforts for the betterment of the Kansas City community. He established the Patricia Crowe Morgan Acting Internship Fund at the Missouri Repertory Theatre in honor of his late wife. Throughout the 1990's, Mr. Morgan dedicated himself to the Guadalupe Center where he worked on curriculum and enthusiastically taught in the English as a Second Language program. He earned the I. Pat Rios Award for outstanding contribution to the West Side Community in 2000. Jack shared his love and deep respect for nature with his family and many friends. He first climbed Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park at the age of 17 and returned to his beloved national park frequently throughout his lifetime. He was a lifelong student of life with so many interests. He loved to swim, became an excellent cook, and hosted many wonderful dinner parties at his home. He loved to dance and spent many an evening on the dance floor staying until the very last dance. Jack also loved Loose Park where he walked for so many years and greeted everyone he met with a warm "hello" or "good morning".