Morris, Edward J.

Born: 1815-07-16 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Died: 1881-12-31 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Flourished: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Edward J. Morris was an attorney, diplomat, and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. He received his early education at common schools in his native city and at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1836, he graduated from Harvard College. Morris read law and earned admission to the Pennsylvania bar in 1842, commencing practice in Philadelphia. From 1841 to 1843, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 1842, Morris won election as a Whig to the U. S. House of Representatives, serving from March 1843 to March 1845. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1844. From January 1850 to August 1853, Morris was U.S. chargé d’affaires to Naples. Returning to the U.S., he served on the board of directors for Girard College, and, in 1856, had another stint in the Pennsylvania House. In 1856, he won election as a Republican to the U.S. House, serving from March 1857 until his resignation in June 1861. President Abraham Lincoln appointed Morris minister resident of the United States to Turkey. Morris held this post from June 1861 until 1870.

Gravestone, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA; Biographical Directory of the American Congress 1774-1996 (Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff Directories, 1997), 1554.