Morris, Toby, U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 6th district (1947-1953; 1957-1961), 1899-1973
Person
Born in Granbury, Texas, on February 28, 1899, Toby Morris moved with his family to Walters, Oklahoma, at a young age. He left high school in 1917 to join the Army. After his discharge in 1919, Morris studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1920 at the age of 21. Four years later he became the prosecuting attorney for Cotton County. He also was involved in private practice and was a district judge. After two unsuccessful attempts, Morris defeated incumbent and fellow Democrat Jed Johnson in 1946 and was reelected in 1948 and 1950. Due to a declining population, the Seventh District was combined with the Sixth District in the 1952 election. In 1952, Morris became embroiled in a rivalry that would dominate the rest of his career in national politics. For the next five elections, Morris or Victor Wickersham (the Seventh District Democratic incumbent) won the Sixth District seat. Morris was successful in 1956 and 1958. While in office, he served on the following committees: House Administration, Democratic Steering Committee, Public Lands, and Armed Services. In 1960, Morris again lost the nomination to Wickersham and never returned to national politics. He lived out his life as a judge, dying on September 1, 1973, in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Toby Morris Collection
Collection
Identifier: CAC-CC-040
Scope and Contents
The Morris Collection is quite complete, encompassing materials from all five of his terms in office. Morris gave this collection to the University of Oklahoma over a period of years beginning in 1952. Consisting of 53 cubic feet of material, the collection covers the period 1946-1960. It is strongest on subjects of a local concern to western Oklahoma. Among the items found in the collection are correspondence, bills, publications, clippings, and photographs. An additional donation was made to...