James Warren Morse, 1877-1940

MORSE, THROWBRIDGE, WILLIAMS

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/4/2011 at 07:32:54

J. W. MORSE. On the score of personal abilities and successful work over a long period of years J. W. Morse is the outstanding member of the Emmet County bar. His home is at Estherville, and he has practiced there nearly thirty years.

Mr. Morse was born in Mitchell County, Iowa, October 21, 1877, son of Isaac H. and Olive (Throwbridge) Morse. At an early age he began working out the pattern of his life, caring it through not without struggle and difficulty.

In 1898 he entered the University of Iowa, where he pursued both the liberal arts and law courses. In 1900 he was admitted to the bar and in the following year located at Estherville. During 1904-07 he was located at Emmetsburg, with the firm of Soper, Morse & Soper, but without exception has practiced in Estherville all through the years. At different times he has had partners in the law, including C. W. Crim, F. J. Kennedy and N. J. Lee, but is now conducting an independent business.

Mr. Morse married, August 5, 1903, Miss Winifred Williams, daughter of John and Olive Williams, of Mitchell County Iowa. They have two children, Olive, wife of W. A. Boice, an interne at Charity Hospital at New Orleans, and John H., a student in Harvard University, having graduated in 1930 from Iowa State University with the A. B. degree. He is taking pot-graduate work in the School of Business Administration at Harvard.

Mr. Morse has been a Republican in political affiliations, but holding office has never been in the line of his ambitions. Nevertheless he has rendered valuable service to the community in many ways, usually in positions carrying no remuneration. In the early years of his practice he was city attorney and for four years was county attorney of Emmet County. The service from which he has derived the greatest measure of satisfaction was the years he spent on the local school board, of which he was president, and he has been a member of the Estherville library board practically since its inception. Mr. Morse is a Knight Templar and thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the B. P. O. Elks.

Source: A Narrative History of The People of Iowa
with SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY, BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa Volume IV THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York 1931