The Edward O. Morris Endowment Scholarship was established in 1993 by sons,
Allen Morris, and
Smokey Edward Morris to honor their father,
Edward O. Morris. Their father, the oldest of three children had to drop out of school at a young age to help his family survive. He worked in the tobacco and cotton fields to earn money to buy food for the family. Edward never returned to school and later told his son,
“I didn’t drop out of school. I just never had the chance to go back”. Mr. Morris later fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II under the leadership of general Douglas MacArthur, whom he greatly admired. Allen knows his father placed a high value on hard work, taking pride in the job at hand and continuing one’s education.
Allen Morris, a retired army officer and president of Concerned Methodists, travels across the United States giving his testimony and briefing people on issues within the United Methodist Church. In addition, he has had the opportunity to travel over much of the world, and has twice been selected as an “Outstanding Young Man of America”, Allen is a past president of the Fayetteville North Carolina chapter of the Full Gospel business Men’s Fellowship International and serves on the board of directors of four other organizations.
Allen participates on the Palacios Area Fund Scholarship Review Committee each year to help award deserving Palacios High School seniors with a scholarship in his father’s memory. With Allen Morris’s continued support over the years, many PHS students have received the Edward O. Morris scholarship to continue their education. Allen recognizes his father is responsible for molding him into the man he is today and is most grateful for the opportunity to honor his memory in this way.