John Albert Morris
| John Albert Morris | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 1836 New Jersey, United States |
| Died |
May 25, 1895 Kerrville, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Resting place | Metairie Cemetery, New Olreans |
| Residence |
New Orleans, Louisiana, Throggs Neck, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, Bar Harbor, Maine, Gillespie County, Texas, Hanover, Germany. |
| Occupation | Businessman, Lottery operator, Racetrack owner, Racehorse owner/breeder |
| Board member of | Louisiana State Lottery Company, Morris Park Racecourse |
| Spouse(s) | Cora Hennen |
| Children |
1) Francis 2) Alfred Hennen 3) David Hennen 4) Isabel Morris-Ledyard |
| Parent(s) | Francis Morris |
| Honors | |
John Albert Morris (July 1836 – May 25, 1895) was an American businessman widely known as the "Lottery King" and a prominent figure in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. A native of New Jersey, he benefited from a large inheritance and added substantially to his fortune through a majority interest in the Louisiana State Lottery Company.[1]
In 1857, he married Cora Hennen, the daughter of Alfred Hennen, a wealthy and prominent judge in New Orleans. The couple had four children:
- Francis Morris (c. 1864–1880)
- Alfred Hennen Morris (1864–1959) — a Vice-Chairman and steward of The Jockey Club
- David Hennen Morris (1872–1944) — lawyer, diplomat, United States Ambassador to Belgium (1933–1937), and co-founder of the International Auxiliary Language Association
- Isabel Morris — married Lewis Cass Ledyard, a grandson of statesman and politician Lewis Cass
Thoroughbred racing
His father, Francis Morris, was also involved in horse racing, and notably owned Ruthless, the winner of the 1867 Belmont and Travers Stakes. John Morris inherited his father's 25,000-acre (100 km2) ranch in Gillespie County, Texas, fourteen miles (21 km) from the town of Kerrville, where he established a horse breeding operation.[2]
John Morris owned a large racing stable in the United States and another in Europe. With Leonard W. Jerome as his minority partner, in 1889 he opened Morris Park Racecourse in what was then Westchester County, New York.[3] The racetrack hosted the Belmont Stakes from 1890 through 1904 as well as the Preakness Stakes in 1890. A few days before he died in May 1895, he leased the racecourse, with an option to purchase, to the Westchester Racing Association. The Morris heirs sold the property to real estate developers in 1905.
John Albert Morris suffered a stroke and died at age 59 in 1895 while at his Texas Ranch. His remains were sent by train to New Orleans where he was interred in the Metairie Cemetery.[4]
The neighborhood of Morris Park in the Bronx, New York, a large part of which covers the site of Morris Park Racecourse, is named in his memory.
References
- ↑ [ Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "''New York Times'' - May 27, 1895 obituary for John A. Morris". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ↑ DiBrino, Nicholas. The History of the Morris Park Racecourse and the Morris Family (1977) The Bronx County Historical Society ISBN 0-941980-27-8
- ↑ [ Displaying Abstract ] (2012-06-10). "''New York Times'' - July 28, 1893". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ↑ "Atlanta Constitution - May 30, 1895". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.