Meyer Morton Meyer Morton , born Myer Isakovitz ( November 20 , 1889 – February 8 , 1948 ) was an American football player and official and lawyer from Chicago , Illinois . Early years . Morton was born in November 1889 in Chicago . His birth name was Myer Isakovitz . His parents , Martin " Max " Morton and Elizabeth " Bessie " ( Schreier ) Morton , were Russian Jews , his parents immigrating between 1879 and 1882 . They became naturalized U . S . citizens in 1890 . At the time of the 1900 United States Census , the family ' s last name was recorded as " Isacovitz . " At the time of the 1910 United States Census , the family had changed its name to Morton and was living in Troy , New York . the father was employed as a salesman at a dry goods store . University of Michigan . Morton enrolled at the University of Michigan and received a law degree as part of the Class of 1912 . While attending Michigan , he played on the freshman baseball and track teams . He was also a reserve player on the undefeated 1910 Michigan Wolverines football team as a sophomore and a member of the class football team as a junior . Legal and officiating career . After graduating from Michigan , Morton returned to Chicago and worked as a lawyer there from 1915 to 1948 . At the time of World War I , Morton was single , living in Chicago and working as a self - employed lawyer . He was serving as a private in the National Guard , Illinois - 1st Cavalry . Morton also worked on Saturdays as a game official for the Big Ten Conference for 23 years from the 1920s to the 1940s . After serving as the head linesman a game between Notre Dame and Northwestern in October 1926 , Morton was criticized by Knute Rockne who felt that Morton had over - penalized the Fighting Irish team . Rockne recalled it was " the only time in my life I ever got sore at an official " and felt it was unfair that Michigan coach Fielding H . Yost was picking game officials for Notre Dame . In his history of the Michigan - Notre Dame rivalry , John Kryk wrote : " Meyer Morton , as Rockne well knew , was a Conference man . Worse , a Michigan man . Still worse , a Yost man . Indeed , Morton was a prominent member of the University of Michigan Club of Chicago , and his correspondence with Yost and others dot the Michigan files of the 1920s and 1930s . " Later years and death . At the time of World War II , Morton was living in Chicago and working for the Chicago Flexible Shaft Co . , a manufacturer of electrical appliances that later became known as Sunbeam Products . Morton died in 1948 in Chicago . Meyer Morton Award . During his lifetime , Morton was one of the leading members of the " M " Club of Chicago . In 1925 , the club began a tradition of giving an award each year to the Michigan football player who showed " the greatest development and most promise as a result of the annual spring practice . " For many years , Morton traveled from Chicago to present the award in Ann Arbor . Beginning in 1948 , after Morton ' s death , the annual award was renamed the Meyer Morton Award . The award has been presented to many of the legends in Michigan football history , including Gerald R . Ford ( 1932 ) , Ron Kramer ( 1954 ) , Jim Harbaugh ( 1984 ) , and Desmond Howard ( 1991 ) . A complete list of the past winners is set forth below .