Durham, NC- Missouri Arledge Morris - May 15, 1935 - April 24, 2020

Basketball - Inducted in The North Carolina Sports Hall Of Fame in 2022

-Averaged 31.3 points per game during her senior season at Hillside High in Durham, NC

-In 1954, she became the first Black woman to play in an American Amateur Union (AAU) tournament and to be named an AAU All-American the next year.

-Was Invited to become the first woman player to join the Harlem Globetrotters, but turned it down to work in education, eventually returning to Hillside High School School, her Alma Mata in Durham, North Carolina.
Source: NC Sports Hall Of Fame
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Missouri Arledge Morris Obituary

Durham native Missouri Arledge Morris, a Hillside High School Retired Assistant Principal, advanced education for the youth and served and contributed to the local community in Durham, North Carolina for more than four decades.

Academic achievement has been a focal point of most of Missouri's activities. To the best of her knowledge the spark of compassion, concern and love shown by her former secondary school teachers (especially by Mr. Carl L. Easterling who coached the girls basketball and tennis teams), inspired her to become a career teacher.

While maintaining grades above average in high school and college, she participated in two sports which were basketball and tennis. As native born of Durham, North Carolina and the youngest of three children, Missouri Morris frequently moved around in North Carolina when she was young, because her father worked in the building and construction industry.

Her frequent upheavals, however, did not prevent her from achieving excellence. In 1953 she graduated from Hillside High School in the upper third percent of her class. Two years later Missouri Morris was recognized as the first African American girl to win the All- American honor in Girls' Basketball in 1955.

Missouri Morris attended Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas and later Tuskegee University, in Tuskegee, Alabama.
As a student at Philander Smith, she became the first African American Woman to play in an Amateur Athletic Union (A.A.U.)Tournament.

She graduated from Tuskegee University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. In1959 she pursued further study at the University of California at Berkeley. From 1959 to 1968 she taught Physical Education, Biology and English as a certified secondary education teacher.

Missouri Morris did not settle for only a teaching certificate in secondary education. In 1979 she received a Master of Arts degree in exceptional education. In 1985 she received a Master of Education and Supervision from North Carolina Central University. Also, during the 1984-85 school year she received the Durham City Schools 'Teacher of the Year" award and the "Terry Sanford" award, as an Outstanding Educator.

When asked about her most memorable moments as a teacher, Missouri cited her first year teaching English, Biology and Physical Education at Moses Lake High School in Moses Lake, Washington and her first year teaching Mentally Handicapped Children at Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina.

She was the first African American teacher at Moses Lake High and the first Exceptional Education teacher at Hillside High School.

During Missouri Morris' years at Hillside High School, she initiated many first things and they are: Organizing the first chess team.- Initiating mainstream procedures for handicapped students on the secondary level.- Developing the curriculum for secondary handicapped students.- Chairing the Education Specification Committee for Exceptional Children.- Developing and implementing grading policies and practices for handicapped students.- Chaired, the School Based Screening Committee.- And coordinated the Central District Student Council convention at Hillside High School.

Always dedicated to advancing education for the youth, Missouri Morris presented many talks to student council members and at the Jack and Jill Youth Conferences. In her speeches, she emphasized to the youth and parents the importance of securing a higher education.

As a member of the Church of the Abiding Savior Lutheran, in the Missouri Synod she served in the following positions: Church council as Minister of Social Concerns.- Advised the first Interfaith Committee of Soul City, Incorporated.- Served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.- Chaired the Eastern District Commission on Racism in the American Lutheran Church. Her community involvements included the following:- President of the Emorywood Ladies Investment Club.- Member of the Emorywood Ladies Coffee Hour.- Member of the Durham Ladies Triangle Putters.- And membership of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma theta Sorority.

A major blessing for Missouri Morris has been her family. She was married to an Air Force pilot, Captain Willis C. Morris. From their union two daughters and a son were born. They are Karon (Morris) Crawley, Dr. Terry L. Morris and Dr. Clifford V. Morris.

Her husband was killed in action in 1964 as a B-52 co-pilot. Missouri devoted her life to being a single mom. She also cared for her parents and grandfather in her home during her early years.

She found great joy in her seven grandchildren - Karissa Morris, Omri Morris, Jewel Morris, Evan Kauffman, Brandon Kaufman, Dawn Crawley and Jocelyn Crawley.