William Wadsworth Morrison

William Wadsworth Morrison, the beloved father of Richard and Christopher, grandfather of Nancy Shuck, Kenneth, Meagan, and Christopher Morrison, Jr., former husband and lifelong friend of Patricia Green (deceased) and Sydni Ann Shollenberger, died on July 2, 2015, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is also survived by his brother Fred B. Morrison of Rhode Island, eight nieces and nephews, and four great grandchildren. Born in Great Neck, New York, in June 1929, to Frederick B. and Beverly Fitzgerald Morrison, he was chosen to sing in the Grace Episcopal Church Boys Choir, where he received honors as an outstanding member. He was educated at Grace Episcopal Church School and Bryant High School in New York, attended the University of Virginia, and received his Bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He also held a Master's degree in public relations from American University. From 1952 to 1954, Mr. Morrison served as a member of the U.S. Army in Korea. Before, during, and after his wartime service, he worked as a radio broadcaster and news director, later expanded to work in television, primarily in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia. Following a career in radio and television, Mr. Morrison became director of public relations for the Virginia Museum. While at the Museum, he was recruited by the director of the National Gallery of Art to be public relations director for the Gallery, a position he accepted and during which he planned the Gallery's 25th anniversary and engaged in early development of plans for the Gallery's East Building designed by I.M. Pei. Mr. Morrison returned to Richmond in 1970, where, with advertising executive Robert Kline, he formed the firm Morrison & Kline. The firm was a major contributor to the success of civic and business enterprises, including the opening of the Richmond Coliseum and a major gala for Virginia Union University that featured celebrity entertainers Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Mr. Morrison and the company received the Silver Anvil award from the Public Relations Society of America, the highest award offered by PRSA. In addition to the Silver Anvil award, Mr. Morrison also received a writing award from CBS in New York City and a Broadcast News Award from the Virginia Associated Press. An opportunity to become vice president for public relations and development of the National Trust for Historic Preservation lured Mr. Morrison back to Washington, DC. During his tenure with the Trust, he was able to enlist the support of Katharine Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy, who recorded public service announcements supporting historic preservation. His career concluded with a long tenure at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he served as a media advisor in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Cancer Institute and then as a special advisor to the director of NIH. One of Mr. Morrison's greatest joys was acting or singing in theatrical performances. At the University of Virginia, he had major roles in the play "Laura" and in Shakespeare's "Macbeth"; in Williamsburg, Virginia's production of Paul Green's "The Common Glory;" and as the lead in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" at the Virginia Museum Theatre. He continued performing in dramas and musicals through the years in the Washington, DC, area and in St. Augustine and St. Petersburg, Florida. In St. Augustine, he played the role of King Philip II of Spain in Paul Green's "Cross and Sword," the official state play telling the story of Florida's founding. While in St. Augustine, Mr. Morrison also produced a radio show, "Notes from St. Augustine," for Jacksonville's National Public Radio station, WJCT. In St. Petersburg, Mr. Morrison was a member of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. He served on the board of St. Petersburg City Theatre and actively supported the arts as a subscriber and contributor. He was an avid reader and, from his years as a radio news director and broadcaster, devoured newspapers and magazines. For years, he was an enthusiastic tennis player, handball player, and jogger. He followed the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball, his favorite spectator sport Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers: Choral Music Programs, Grace Episcopal Church, 802 Broadway, New York, New York 10003 Florida Resurrection House, 800 11th street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 St. Petersburg City Theatre, 4025 31st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712 A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. PETER, 140 4TH STREET NORTH, ST.PETERSBURG FL 33701 ON THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015 AT 10:00 A.M.