Jay Johnson Morrow

Jay Johnson Morrow
Gov. J.J. Morrow of Canal Zone
3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone
In office 1921–1924
Preceded by	Chester Harding
Succeeded by	Meriwether Lewis Walker
Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia
In office May 2, 1907 – December 21, 1908 [1]
Preceded by	John Biddle
Succeeded by	Spencer Cosby
Personal details
Born	(1870-02-20)February 20, 1870 Fairview, West Virginia
Died	April 16, 1937(1937-04-16) (aged 67)　 Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone
Spouse	Harriet McMullen Butler
Profession	military engineer, politician
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1891-
Rank	Brigadier general
Commands	Chief Engineer of the United States First Army and as Deputy Chief Engineer of the American Expeditionary Force
Battles/wars	World War I

Jay Johnson Morrow (February 20, 1870 – April 16, 1937) was an American military engineer who was Chief Engineer of the United States First Army and Deputy Chief Engineer of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I and Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1921 to 1924.

Early life and family

He was born on February 20, 1870, in Fairview, West Virginia.[2] He was of Scots-Irish descent. He was the brother of U.S. Senator and Diplomat Dwight Morrow[3] and uncle of Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Military career

He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1891. He was then commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[2]

He was an instructor in military engineering at the United States Military Academy from 1895 to 1896.[2]

He served as military governor of the Philippine Province of Zamboanga from 1901 to 1902.[2]

He served as Engineering Commissioner in the District of Columbia from 1907 to 1909.[2]

During World War I, he served as Chief Engineer of First Army and as Deputy Chief Engineer of the American Expeditionary Force.[2]

He was Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1921 to 1924.[2]

Personal life

Morrow married Harriet McMullen Butler on October 15, 1895.[2] She was the daughter of Brigadier General John Gazzam Butler and Eliza Jane Miller Warnick. She was also the granddaughter of Charles Ward Warnick and Mary Ann Miller.

Morrow and his wife, who died in 1935, were residents of Englewood, New Jersey.[4]

Death and legacy

He died on April 16, 1937.[2] His ashes were scattered over the Chagres River, which feeds into the Panama Canal.

References

1. "DCPL: MLK: Washingtoniana Division: FAQs: DC Commissioners". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
2. Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, Inc. p. 273. ISBN 1571970886.
3. Onofrio, Jan (1999). West Virginia Biographical Dictionary. Somerset Publishers. p. 181. ISBN 0403098440.
4. "Kin Conducts Rites For Mrs. Harriet B. Morrow", The Record, May 13, 1935. Accessed May 17, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Mrs. Harriet Butler Morrow, wife of General Jay J. Morrow of 71 Franklin Street, Englewood, and an aunt of Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh, died Saturday at Interlaken, N. J., of a heart attack while visiting her niece, Mrs. Garth Shamel."

External links/Sources

• Panama Canal Authority biography Archived May 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine