E. Frederic Morrow
Encyclopedia
E. Frederic Morrow was the first African American
to hold an executive position at the White House
. He served President Dwight Eisenhower as Administrative Officer for Special Projects from 1955 to 1961. His brother was Ambassador John H. Morrow
.
A graduate of the law school of Rutgers University
, he attended Bowdoin College
from 1926–1930, but had to return to assist his family before graduating. Bowdoin awarded him an honorary LL.D. degree in 1970 The Hackensack, New Jersey native worked for the NAACP before joining the United States Army
during World War II
. Later, he was a writer for CBS
before joining the 1952 Eisenhower campaign. Morrow served as an advisor at the U.S. Commerce Department before being picked for the White House job.
The White House Historical Association has written:
After his Republican Party was turned out of office in 1960, Morrow wrote a book on his experiences, Black Man in the White House. He later became the first African American vice-president of Bank of America
. His other books were Way Down South Up North and Forty Years a Guinea Pig.
He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to hold an executive position at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. He served President Dwight Eisenhower as Administrative Officer for Special Projects from 1955 to 1961. His brother was Ambassador John H. Morrow
John H. Morrow
John Howard Morrow was an American diplomat. In 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him the first Ambassador to independent Guinea. He became the first representative of the United States in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization during the administration...
.
A graduate of the law school of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, he attended Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
from 1926–1930, but had to return to assist his family before graduating. Bowdoin awarded him an honorary LL.D. degree in 1970 The Hackensack, New Jersey native worked for the NAACP before joining the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Later, he was a writer for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
before joining the 1952 Eisenhower campaign. Morrow served as an advisor at the U.S. Commerce Department before being picked for the White House job.
The White House Historical Association has written:
As the sole African American on a staff dealing with racial tensions related to integration, Morrow faced difficult personal and professional struggles at the White House. The Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
ruling, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the Little Rock crisis were the backdrop for Morrow’s White House years. On a staff with a civil-rights policy that was at best cautious, Morrow was often frustrated and angered. He lived at a time when qualified African Americans were excluded from high-level political positions. Morrow as a black 'first' found relations within the president’s 'official family' to be 'correct in conduct, but cold.' http://www.whitehousehistory.org/05/subs/05_c17.html
After his Republican Party was turned out of office in 1960, Morrow wrote a book on his experiences, Black Man in the White House. He later became the first African American vice-president of Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
. His other books were Way Down South Up North and Forty Years a Guinea Pig.
He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity.