Citation | Print View
Search Finding Aid
Ephraim F. Morgan (1869-1950), Governor, Papers A&M 0203

Ephraim F. Morgan (1869-1950), Governor, Papers A&M 0203


[logo]

West Virginia and Regional History Center

1549 University Ave.
P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu

Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center

Repository
West Virginia and Regional History Center
Identification
A&M 0203
Title
Ephraim F. Morgan (1869-1950), Governor, Papers 1920-1925
URL:
https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196587
Quantity
12.5 Linear Feet, 12 ft. 6 in. (30 document cases, 5 in. each)
Creator
Morgan, Ephraim Franklin, 1869-1950
Location
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Language
English

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Ephraim F. Morgan (1869-1950), Governor, Papers, A&M 0203, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

Ephraim Franklin Morgan (January 16, 1869-January 15, 1950) served as West Virginia's 16th governor, 1921-1925.

Governor Morgan was born on a farm near Forksburg, Marion County, and was a descendant of Morgan Morgan, the first white settler of western Virginia. He studied at Fairmont State Normal School and earned his law degree from West Virginia University in 1897. After establishing a law practice in Fairmont, he later served with the First West Virginia Regiment during the Spanish-American War. He held a number of public positions in Fairmont including city solicitor and judge in the Intermediate Court. He married Alma Bennett in 1902.

In 1915, he became a member of the state Service Commission, but resigned in 1919 to run as a Republican candidate for governor. He narrowly defeated Arthur B. Koontz in the 1920 fractious election.

The bitterly divisive Mine Wars in southern West Virginia consumed much of Morgan's administration. During this time, he favored the state's coal operators and sought to squelch the miners uprising and the formation of strong labor unions by sending the WV State Police to the coal fields. As the violence escalated President Harding eventually intervened by sending federal troops to Mingo and Logan counties.

Under Governor Morgan's administration the legislature created a sinking fund to provide financial assistance to new programs, namely a new road system. He also oversaw the building of a state capitol and a Governor's Mansion. The new Capitol was completed during the last month of his administration, and he and his family moved into the Mansion just days before his governorship ended.

Morgan continued public service after leaving the Governor's Office. He worked as a solicitor for the U.S. Department of Commerce spending much of his time in Washington. In 1940 he ran for U.S Senate, not making it beyond the primary. He died at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

[Adapted from an article "Ephraim Franklin Morgan" in The West Virginia Encyclopedia, accessed May 26, 2020]

Scope and Contents

The papers of West Virginia's 16th Governor, Ephraim F. Morgan, largely contain official correspondence originating in or received by the governor's office, 1920-1925. Records types include newspaper clippings, reports, maps, proclamations, speeches, and other items. Topics include the State Police, prohibition, industrial unrest, the Mine Wars in southern West Virginia, public works and roadbuilding, and West Virginia University.

Related Material

203, 1660

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Maps.
  • Morgan, Ephraim Franklin, 1869-1950
  • Police, State - West Virginia.
  • Politicians -- United States
  • Politics and government.
  • Road Construction.
  • United States -- Politics and government
  • West Virginia - Governors.
  • West Virginia -- Politics and government

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Morgan, Ephraim Franklin, 1869-1950
Back to Top

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • United States -- Politics and government
  • West Virginia -- Politics and government
Back to Top

Container List

Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
General Correspondence
1920
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Report on State Road Commission
1920/07-1921/07
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1921/01-1921/02
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1921/02-1921/03
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1921/03-1921/04
Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1921/04-1921-05
Mixed Materials Box: 6 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 6 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 6 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 6 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1921/05
Mixed Materials Box: 7 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 7 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 7 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 7 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1921/6
Mixed Materials Box: 8 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 8 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 8 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 8 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1921/07-1921/08
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1921/08-1921/09
Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1921/09-1921/11
Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1921/11-1921/12
Mixed Materials Box: 12 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 12 Folder: 2
Among Other Miscellaneous Items: Petitions for State Road Commissioner, Application Lists for the Chief Game Protector, Telegrams, List of Fellow Governors; Budgets for the Cities of WV, Petitions
1921
Mixed Materials Box: 12 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 12 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 12 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1922/01
Mixed Materials Box: 13 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 13 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 13 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 13 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 13 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1922/01-1922/03
Mixed Materials Box: 14 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 14 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 14 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 14 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 14 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1922/03-1922/05
Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 15 Folder: 6
General Correspondence
1922/06-1922/07
Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 16 Folder: 6
General Correspondence
1922/08-1922/10
Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 17 Folder: 6
General Correspondence
1922/11-1922/12
Mixed Materials Box: 18 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 18 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 18 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 18 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1923/01-1923/02
Mixed Materials Box: 19 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 19 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 19 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 19 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1923/03-1923/04
Mixed Materials Box: 20 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 20 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 20 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 20 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 20 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1923/05-1923/07
Mixed Materials Box: 21 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 21 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 21 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 21 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1923/08-1923/10
Mixed Materials Box: 22 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 22 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 22 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 22 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1923/11-1923/12
Mixed Materials Box: 22 Folder: 5
Among Other Miscellaneous Items: Petitions, Personal and Political Letters, Reports on Prohibition
1923
Mixed Materials Box: 23 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 23 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 23 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 23 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 23 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1924/01-1924/03
Mixed Materials Box: 24 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 24 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 24 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 24 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 24 Folder: 5
General Correspondence
1924/03-1924/06
Mixed Materials Box: 25 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 25 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 25 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 25 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1924/07-1924/09
Mixed Materials Box: 26 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 26 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 26 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 26 Folder: 4
General Correspondence
1924/10-1924/12
Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 3 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 27 Folder: 6
General Correspondence
1924/12-1925/12
Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 2
Newspaper Clippings (articles include the following items among other topics)
1920-1925
  • Clipping -- Inaugural Ball of Governor Morgan
    1921/03/04
  • Clipping -- Unveiling of the Monument of Colonel Morgan Morgan, First White Settler of WV
    1924/09/13
  • Clipping -- Address of Governor Morgan, Farmers Week, WVU
    1922/01/13
  • Clipping -- Program, Inauguration of Governor Morgan and the Other State Executive Officers
    1921/03/04
  • Clipping -- Dedication of the Law Building, WVU
    1921/11/17
  • Clipping -- Dedication and Formal Opening, Monongahela River Bridge in Fairmont, WV
    1921/05/30
  • Clipping -- Special Performance for Governors' Conference
    1922/12/15
  • Clipping -- Launching of the USS West Virginia
    1921/11/19
  • Clipping -- Taxation, an Address at Annual Conference of Governors, West Boden, IN
    1923/10/17-1923/10/19
  • Clipping -- The Midland Trail Through the Switzerland of American
    undated
  • Clipping -- World War One
    undated
  • Clipping -- Economics
    undated
  • Clipping -- Mine Strike in Matewan, WV
    undated
Maps Box: 28 Folder: 3
Maps: West Virginia Showing by County the Number of Students Attending the University, undated; Williamson Coal District, undated; Two Maps of West Virginia, 1923
1923 and undated
Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 4 Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 5 Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 6 Mixed Materials Box: 28 Folder: 7
Proclamations and Speeches by Governor Morgan
Undated
Mixed Materials Box: 29 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 29 Folder: 2 Mixed Materials Box: 29 Folder: 3
Reports, Some Topics Included: Prohibition, Suberlee Mine Investigation, Budgets
Undated
Mixed Materials Box: 30 Folder: 1 Mixed Materials Box: 30 Folder: 2
Reports, Excerpts, and Notes
Undated