Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-14
HEADLINE PERSONALITY
Doctor Keeps Finger
On Committee Pulse

get this year IN the Foreign
Affairs Committee, there will
always be doctor in the house.
The medico. Thomas Els
worth Morgan of Fredericktown,
Pa, is chairman Of the COM
mittee by virtue Of the recent
ill-health resignation of Rep
resentative Gordon, Democrat
of Illinois.
One Of the few men on Cap
itol Hill who is an MD. as well
as an NC. DOC" Morgan is
getting ready for a busy ses-
sion welding the House For
eign Affairs gavel. The 51-year-
old Democrat (from the 26th
district in Pennsylvania ex-
IRENE southwest) has been do
ing most of the work of running
the committee for several
months. 1t was only a few days
ago, however, that Mr.. Gordon
officially announced he was
stepping aside.
Liked on Both Sides
The news was greeted pleas
antly by DR.. Morgan's col
leagues. An avowed disciple Of
the Vandenberg bipartisanShip
concept, he found a happily
bipartisan reaction to his ac-
cession. Hell make an excel
lent chairman" said Repre-
sentative Vorys, Republican Of
Ohio, with enthusiasm.
doc" Morgan is a hard man
to overlook. Six-feet-four and
: 240 pounds, he practically fills
the door when he enters or
leaves the committed room.
Though he, himself, is Of
Welsh English descent and his
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
UP to now has dealt with the
Near Eastern-African area,
DR.. Morgan's foreign-policy in
terests are universal - and
necessarily so. His polyglot
district contains natives Of al
most every country in the
world.
Representative Morgan has
an advantage on most of his
colleagues when it comes to
getting reelected. He has
brought hundreds-maybe a
thousand-of his constituents
into the world in the % years
of his practice. The oldest Of
these are only now coming of
voting age.
Son Of Coal Miner
The son of a coal miner,
Representative Morgan put
himself through Wayne Uni
versity in Detroit. While in
terning at Grace Hospital there
he met a Canadian girl named
Winifred Stair. They were
married and have one teen
aged daughter. Mary Ann, a
student at Stephens College in
Missouri.
In Washington, DOC" and
swim" Morgan live modestly
In a one-bedroom apartment
IN the southeast section. They
enjoy a more elegant life back
home in Pennsylvania, in a
handsome ranch house on a
hill overlooking the Mononga-
hela River.
The 26th District, from
DOCS" point of view. might
almost be termed a realm. 1t
Is about as solidly Democratic
as the Harry Truman residence
in Independence, Mo.
1t was not always thus. DR..
Morgan's first f1ier into politics
was a doorbell-ringing stint in
his home town of Ellsworth, Pa,
when there were only about
three or four Democrats in the
area. Now-possibly through |
adequate prenatal and post !
natal care as well as smart |
Observation-Disclosures is about |
IS per cent Democratic.
Up Through the Ranks
DR.. Morgan went up through
the Political ranks. first as a
township commissioner, then
as elected health officer. and |
finally to Congress in the 1914
election. He is the 26th Dis
trict's recognized political
leader.
The Foreign Affairs Commit
tee was one of DR.. Morgan's
original assignments and now |
Is his only one.
What with medical prac-
tice in Pennsylvania and a key
craftsmanship here, DOC" Nor
gan seldom has a dull moment. |
In all likelihood, he will be too
busy to act on the legislative