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When you give a person a chance
for a college education, you don’t just give him four years
of lectures and final exams . . . you give him an opportunity
for a whole new life." For Dr. Don M. Morris, this paraphrased
quotation by novelist Christopher Morley has served as his life
mantra. He received this "opportunity" for a whole
new life 61 years ago when the Chaffey High School graduate
enrolled at the new Mt. San Antonio College in 1948.
Making the most of
this opportunity, young Morris excelled academically and
athletically. Under the coaching of legendary Hilmer Lodge,
he placed second in the nation in the 400m hurdles in the
National A.A.U. Junior Track & Field Championships. That same year, he also placed
third nationally in the 120-yard high hurdles and the 220-yard
low hurdles at the National Community College Championships.
Morris graduated from Mt. SAC in 1950 and earned an athletic
scholarship at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he further excelled
and became captain of the track team.
After graduating from Cal
Poly in 1952, Morris volunteered for service in the U.S.
Navy and became a naval aviator of both carrier-based aircraft
and airships. Including his four years of active duty, he
served for 42 years in the Navy Reserve, retiring in 1990
at the rank of commander.
Despite his strong ties to the
military, Morris was passionately linked to education. He
earned a master’s
degree in education at Cal Poly and a doctorate (Ed.D.) at UCLA.
For the rest of his working years, he devoted his career to extending
the opportunity of quality education to countless students. He
was a public school teacher and principal in San Luis Obispo
and Simi Valley, and he served as a founding administrator at
Moorpark Colleges and as a professor at UC Santa Barbara. Dr.
Morris worked at Cal Poly for 15 years as personnel director,
housing director, dean of extended education, and professor.
Dr. Morris has also seized opportunities to serve his community
through elective office—as president of the Simi Valley
Parks & Recreation Board of Directors and the local chapter
of Phi Delta Kappa, and also as a member of the San Luis Obispo
County Board of Education.
Even at age 79, Dr. Morris is still
quite active—physically! The perpetual athlete, he has
won over 100 medals over the past 25 years of Senior Olympics
competition, and he is currently the senior world champion in
basketball free-throw and 3-point shooting. Morris and his wife,
Jean, have traveled together all over the world. Today he presides
over the 1,400-member Cal Poly Retired Faculty and Staff Club,
and he serves on the Cal Poly Alumni Association Board of Directors
Dr. Morris’ public accolades could fill a tome. Among
the most treasured honors are his induction into the Cal
Poly Athletic Hall of Fame (2000) and his selection as "Alumnus
of the Year" by Cal Poly (2001) and by Chaffey High School
(2008). In addition, he received the Patrick Henry Medallion
for his work with local veterans and for other patriotic
efforts. Morris can now add yet another alumnus recognition
by his original alma mater of opportunity, Mt. SAC. Regarding
that honor, he states:
"Mt. SAC has given me a chance to
succeed in life, and I’m forever
grateful to coach Hilmer Lodge and all the wonderful faculty
and staff who helped me along the way. No one thought 61
years ago that in 2009, Mt. SAC would become the nation’s
greatest community college. I am proud to be part of the
Mt. SAC Family."
In the spirit of this year’s
commencement theme, "Achievement & Opportunity,"
Mt. SAC proudly bestows its 2009 Alumnus of the Year Award
upon Dr. Don M. Morris. |
