While living in Marshall, Texas, he founded the Marshall Regional Arts Council. He was honored as Citizen of the Year for Plainview, Texas, in 1976 for his community service. At Baylor, Morris directed the Constituency Development Programs Division. The programs included estate planning, foundation development, academic constituency development, endowed scholarships and capital campaign planning. In addition to those accomplishments, Morris has extensive experience in estate planning and construction campaigns.
History is a major interest of the vice chancellor.
The author of two books on state and local history, Morris received his doctorate in history from Texas Tech University in 1973. Prior to becoming a fund-raising professional, he taught history for 20 years, serving as a department chair and an academic dean. He is a frequent presenter and seminar leader in planned giving, major gift planning and ethics. He is married to Brenda K. Morris, who serves as assistant vice president of organizational development at Baylor. A certified professional trainer, she directs leadership courses there.