# John Albert Morris

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Albert_Morris
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Albert_Morris.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Albert_Morris
> Source revision: 1349758152
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American businessman (1836–1895)

John Albert Morris Born July 29, 1836 Jersey City, New Jersey, [U.S. Died May 25, 1895(1895-05-25) (aged 58) Kerrville, Texas, U.S. Resting place Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans Occupations Businessman, Lottery operator, Racetrack owner, Racehorse owner/breeder Board member of Louisiana State Lottery Company, Morris Park Racecourse Spouse Cora Hennen ​ ​ (m. 1857)​ Children Francis Morris, Alfred Hennen, Dave Hennen, Isabel Morris-Ledyard Parent(s) Francis Morris Mary Elizabeth Valentine Honors Morris Park, Bronx John A. Morris Handicap at Saratoga Race Course

**John Albert Morris** (July 29, 1836 – May 25, 1895) was an American businessman widely known as the "Lottery King" and a prominent figure in the sport of [thoroughbred](/source/Thoroughbred) [horse racing](/source/Horse_racing). A native of [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), he benefited from a large inheritance and added substantially to his fortune through a majority interest in the [Louisiana State Lottery Company](/source/Louisiana_State_Lottery_Company).[1]

## Early life

Morris was born in [Jersey City, New Jersey](/source/Jersey_City%2C_New_Jersey), on July 29, 1836. He was the son of [Francis Morris](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_Morris_(businessman)&action=edit&redlink=1) and Mary Elizabeth Valentine. As a boy, he traveled to England, under the charge of [Richard Ten Broeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Ten_Broeck&action=edit&redlink=1), when he put [Prior](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prior_(horse)&action=edit&redlink=1) and other horses on the English turf.[1]

## Thoroughbred racing

His father was also involved in horse racing, and notably owned [Ruthless](/source/Ruthless_(horse)), the winner of the 1867 [Belmont](/source/Belmont_Stakes) and [Travers Stakes](/source/Travers_Stakes).[2] Morris inherited his father's 25,000-acre (100 km2) ranch in [Gillespie County](/source/Gillespie_County), Texas, fourteen miles (23 km) from the town of [Kerrville](/source/Kerrville%2C_Texas), where he established a [horse breeding](/source/Horse_breeding) operation.[3]

John Morris owned a large racing stable in the United States and another in Europe. With [Leonard W. Jerome](/source/Leonard_W._Jerome) as his minority partner, in 1889 he opened [Morris Park Racecourse](/source/Morris_Park_Racecourse) in what was then [Westchester County, New York](/source/Westchester_County%2C_New_York).[4] The racetrack hosted the [Belmont Stakes](/source/Belmont_Stakes) from 1890 through 1904 as well as the [Preakness Stakes](/source/Preakness_Stakes) in 1890.[5] A few days before he died in May 1895, he leased the racecourse, with an option to purchase, to the Westchester Racing Association.

### Properties

At one point in time, Morris owned nine "superbly equipped establishments in America and Europe," including in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana), [Throggs Neck](/source/Throggs_Neck), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), three properties in [Boston, Massachusetts](/source/Boston%2C_Massachusetts), [Bar Harbor, Maine](/source/Bar_Harbor%2C_Maine), [Gillespie County](/source/Gillespie_County), [Texas](/source/Texas), and in [Hanover](/source/Hanover), [Germany](/source/Germany).[1] The Morris heirs later sold the property to real estate developers in 1905.

## Personal life

In 1857, he married Cora Hennen, the daughter of Alfred Hennen, a wealthy and prominent judge in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans). The couple had four children:

- Francis Morris (c. 1864–1880)

- [Alfred Hennen Morris](/source/Alfred_Hennen_Morris) (1864–1959), a vice-chairman and steward of [The Jockey Club](/source/The_Jockey_Club)

- [Dave Hennen Morris](/source/Dave_Hennen_Morris) (1872–1944), lawyer, diplomat, [Ambassador to Belgium](/source/United_States_Ambassador_to_Belgium), and co-founder of the [International Auxiliary Language Association](/source/International_Auxiliary_Language_Association)

- Frances Isabel Morris, who first married Thurlow Weed Barnes, brother of photographer [Catharine Weed Barnes](/source/Catharine_Weed_Barnes) and grandson of publisher [Thurlow Weed](/source/Thurlow_Weed). After their divorce, she married [Lewis Cass Ledyard](/source/Lewis_Cass_Ledyard) (1851–1932), a grandson of [Lewis Cass](/source/Lewis_Cass), governor of the Michigan Territory and a [United States senator](/source/United_States_senator).[6]

John Albert Morris suffered a [stroke](/source/Stroke) and died, at age 59, in 1895 while at his Texas Ranch.[1] His remains were sent by train to New Orleans where he was interred in the [Metairie Cemetery](/source/Metairie_Cemetery).[7]

At the time of his death, his wealth was estimated at between $25,000,000 and $30,000,000.[1]

### Legacy

The neighborhood of [Morris Park](/source/Morris_Park%2C_Bronx) in the [Bronx, New York](/source/Bronx), a large part of which covers the site of Morris Park Racecourse, is named in his memory.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-JAMObit1895_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-JAMObit1895_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-JAMObit1895_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-JAMObit1895_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-JAMObit1895_1-4) ["DEATH OF JOHN A. MORRIS; The Founder and Chief Owner of the Louisiana Lottery. A FAMOUS OWNER OF RACE HORSES Story of His Manipulation of the Great Lottery Fraud Until Bribery Ceased to Keep It Alive"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F03E5D6133DE433A25754C2A9639C94649ED7CF&legacy=true). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. May 27, 1895. Retrieved January 18, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1894Lottery_2-0)** ["JOHN A. MORRIS. LOTTERY KING; HISTORY OF THE GREAT LOUISIANA GAMBLING CONCERN. Florida Had Best Beware Before Giving Him a Foothold. Within Its Borders -- How He Obtained Control of the Greatest Incorporated Swindle that Ever Disgraced a State -- Millions of Profit on a Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Investment"](https://www.nytimes.com/1894/02/11/archives/john-a-morris-lottery-king-history-of-the-great-louisiana-gambling.html&legacy=true). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. February 11, 1894. Retrieved January 18, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [DiBrino, Nicholas. *The History of the Morris Park Racecourse and the Morris Family* (1977) The Bronx County Historical Society](http://legacy.www.nypl.org/branch/bronx/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=1387) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110727083750/http://legacy.www.nypl.org/branch/bronx/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=1387) 2011-07-27 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-941980-27-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-941980-27-8)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Displaying Abstract ] (June 10, 2012). ["*New York Times* - July 28, 1893"](https://www.nytimes.com/1893/07/28/archives/morris-is-an-aristocrat-of-his-kind.html). *New York Times*. Retrieved December 19, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1894Retirement_5-0)** ["BIG RACING FIRM DISSOLVED.; John A. Morris Retires -- Younger Morrises to Retain a Small Stable"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E06E4DE1231E033A25756C1A9679D94659ED7CF&legacy=true). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. November 15, 1894. Retrieved January 18, 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1906Wedding_6-0)** ["LEWIS CASS LEDYARD MARRIES MRS. MORRIS; Their Engagement, Made Three Weeks Ago, Not Announced. FEW AT THE QUIET WEDDING The Bride Was the Wife of Thurlow Weed Barnes -- Dave Hennen Morris a Brother"](https://www.nytimes.com/1906/06/07/archives/lewis-cass-ledyard-marries-mrs-morris-their-engagement-made-three.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. June 7, 1906. Retrieved September 22, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Atlanta Constitution - May 30, 1895"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121102131114/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/ajc_historic/access/536048942.html?dids=536048942:536048942&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&date=May+30,+1895&author=&pub=The+Atlanta+Constitution&desc=FUNERAL+OF+JOHN+A.+MORRIS.&pqatl=google). Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from [the original](https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/ajc_historic/access/536048942.html?dids=536048942:536048942&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&date=May+30%2C+1895&author=&pub=The+Atlanta+Constitution&desc=FUNERAL+OF+JOHN+A.+MORRIS.&pqatl=google) on November 2, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Albert Morris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Albert_Morris) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Albert_Morris?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.