Geoffrey F. Morgan Obituary 3/3/1952

Here is a transcription of a news story published in the
Evening Outlook, the daily paper of Santa Monica, CA.
The date was 3/3/1952. It was a front page story.




Geoffrey Morgan, Noted
Civic Leader And Orator
Dies After Long Illness
Prominent Lecturer Loses Gallant
Battle Against Incurable Disease
Geoffrey F. Morgan, writer, educator and civic leader, but best
known in 48 states as a lecturer and orator, died yesterday at Santa
Monica Hospital after a long and courageous fight against an incurable
malady.

Although he had known for many
months that his condition was incurable,
he continued to meet speaking engagements
and to appear in behalf of causes as long as he
was able to stand. In fact he confided that in
delivering his last two public addresses he would
 have been unable to carry on except for the fact
that he supported himself by holding the back of a chair.

As his strength ebbed further and he was confined
to his bed at home, he continued to confer with
civic leaders and especially with persons
interested in beach development, one of his
principal interests, by means of a bedside telephone.
This he continued until even the effort of speaking
overtaxed his ebbing strength. The end, however,
came peacefully after several days of waning
consciousness.

Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev.
Clifford E. Barry Nobes at St. Augustine's Episcopal
Church at 2 p.m. Wednesday with Gates, Kingsley
& Gates in charge. While no specific request was
made, members of the Morgan family suggested
that in lieu of flowers contributions by individuals to the
work of the American Cancer Society fund would
have been in accordance with Mr. Morgan's wishes.

Pallbearers will be Ira C. Hilgers, Harold B. Stark,
L. S. Storrs, Jack W. Evans, Elliott Morgan, and
Morgan Evans.

Geoffrey Francis Morgan, born in London, England,
Aug 8, 1882, was the youngest of the four children
of the late Alfred W. Morgan and his wife, Janet.

The family emigrated to California when Mr. Morgan
was a small child, arriving in the United States in
January 1887, and settling in San Diego County where
the Morgan children received their early education. Later
the family moved to Los Angeles where Mr. Morgan
graduated from Los Angeles State Normal School ,
which later became UCLA.

From 1903 to 1906 Mr. Morgan, who never married,
was a teacher in the country schools of California.
Noting that educational standards for the teaching
profession were rising even in those days, Mr.
Morgan decided that further professional training
was necessary, so he enrolled at Stanford University.

WROTE SCHOOL SONG

While an undergraduate in that institution, he
was the author of the present day Stanford song,
"Sons of the Stanford Red." became editor of
Chapparal and took a leading part in campus
dramatics and debating, gaining a lifelong interest
in the theater in general and the Little Theater
movement in particular.

After receiving his A.B. degree in 1910 he became
principal of a Riverside school in which capacity he
is remembered by numerous older residents of
that community. Again feeling the drive for
further advancement in his profession, he entered
Columbia University, where he received his M.A. degree
in 1914, and then joined the faculty of Ohio University
where he served as professor of education until
1916, when he accepted a position as superintendent
of schools in Athens, Ohio, seat of the university.

During this period he took the lead in organizing
youth activities of the community, and became much
in demand as a speaker on inspirational subjects,
so much so that in 1920 he resigned in order to devote
all of his time to the lecture platform.

NOTED AS SPEAKER

For many years he was speaking on the regularly
organized circuits of the Redpath Lyceum and
other bureaus, but later he became an independent,
in which work he continued until his final illness, except
during the period from 1941 to 1947 when he was
manager of the Douglas Aircraft Company speaker's
bureau.

Mr. Morgan often commented  that he had spoken
at public gatherings in every state in the Union, and on
considerably more than 6000  occasions. Some of his more
popular subjects were: "Success With Ease,"  "What's the Use?,"
"The Blessings of Machinery,"  "Sutter's Fort and Sutter's Gold,"
"There Ought to be a Law," and many others dealing with
aviation, a subject on which he developed a vast amount
of knowledge while associated with the Douglas company.

Between lectures he found time to write more than a score
of plays and operettas designed for amateur production,
working in collaboration with a number of composers,
of whom Geoffrey O'Hara was perhaps the best known.

Many of the plays and operettas still are favorites
with school and amateur groups. They include "Tulip Time,"
"Don Alonso's Treasure," "Rose of the Danube,"
"The Count and the Co-ed," and others.

WAS AN ASSEMBLYMAN
In the field of civic and community affairs, Mr. Morgan,
although he traveled extensively, long ago identified himself
with Santa Monica as his home community, having come to
this area after leaving Athens, Ohio in 1920.

He served as assemblyman for this district from 1931 to
1937, was a life member of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica,
served as campaign chairman of the Community Chest,
took a leading part in work of the Salvation Army, the
Council of Social Welfare, was chairman of the recreation
commission and active in the Little Theater movement
sponsored by the Recreation Department.

For two years he was president of the Santa Monica
Theater Guild, which produced his "Don Alonso's Treasure"
last Summer. He was head of public relations of the theater group
at the time of his death. Through his efforts the present Morgan
Theater has become the home of the theater guild.

He was for a time a director of the Chamber of Commerce,
which only recently awarded him a life membership, and
had served as a member of the Board of Education and the Library
Board.

Perhaps closest to his heart was the development of the
beaches of the state as the primary recreational facility of California,
and from 1940 to 1945 and from 1948 until his death he was
president  of the Shoreline Planning Association of California,
an organization which he sparked to success in obtaining
legislative appropriation of $10 million for beach acquisition.
In recent years he had worked tirelessly for development of the
beaches acquired under this program.

AIDED CHURCHES
Mr Morgan who in recent years made his home at
533 23rd St. was a member of the Rotary, the Dramatists Guild,
Actors Equity, Phi Alpha Tau, and Tau Kappa Alpha, a member of
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. He often donated his talents
not only to that church but to others of different denominations.

He is survived by his two sisters,Mrs. Hugh Evans and Mrs. G. S. Storrs,
and one brother, Laurence W. Morgan, all living in the Bay District,
as well as by 11 nephews and nieces and 18 grandnephews and nieces.

The 11 nephews and nieces are Jack Evans, Morgan Evans and
Mrs. Ira C. Hilgers of Rustic Canyon;  Bernard G. Evans, San Bernardino
and Santa Monica; Mrs. George T. McKee, Walnut Grove; Elliott W. T.  Morgan
and Janet Morgan, Santa Monica; Mrs. Wallace Boag, currently in
Australia; Leslie S. Storrs, Barbara M. Storrs and Mrs. Harold B. Clark,
all of Santa Monica.