Lorenzo Morris, professor emeritus of political science at Howard University, recently passed away at the age of 79.
A native of Poughkeepsie, New York, Dr. Morris studied at Oberlin College in Ohio and Yale University before earning his bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University in Nashville. He later received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. Dr. Morris’ early career in academia included service as a faculty member with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and as a research fellow with the Brookings Institution.
At Howard University, Dr. Morris was a senior research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Educational Policy and chair of the department of political science. He also served as vice-chair of the Faculty Senate, co-director of the Census Information Center, and president of Phi Beta Kappa. From 2008 to 2009, Dr. Morris served abroad as the Tocqueville-Fulbright Distinguished Chair at the University of Paris VIII.
As a scholar, Dr. Morris was known for his work on international and American public policy, electoral behavior, African American politics, and presidential politics. Throughout his career, he published numerous scholarly articles and books, including Elusive Equality: The Status of Black Americans in Higher Education (Howard University Press, 1979) and The Social and Political Implications of the 1984 Jesse Jackson Presidential Campaign (Praeger, 1990). Dr. Morris was involved with several committees at the American Political Science Association and served as president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.
