MCG&HS Hall of Fame Recipient 1994 Jack Morton

HALL OF FAME #7
 

The following is a copy of the Hall of Fame Presentation to Jack Morton, written by Vera Wimberly, and presented by Gene Tannery:

It is time, once again, to honor one of our members by inducting her or him into the Montgomery County Genealogical & Historical Society's Hall of Fame.

Katherine & Jack Morton
 

Had the membership not been able to vote on the honoree for this prestigious award, the Hall of Fame Committee would have had to have the approval of the President of our selection. That might have been a bit awkward. for you see, our President, Jack Morton, is the 1994 recipient of The Hall of Fame Award. I was prepared to lie - if needs be to keep this a secret from him. But he never asked. So sure he was that he did not qualify.

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to be the one to carry out the wishes of the society. Jack, I would tell you to come up here so we can talk in your face but this presentation is going to be somewhat lengthy, so you can just stay where you are until I get through. Okay?
 

Before I tell you all the neat things about our new inductee - I would like to introduce the members who are past recipients of this Hall of Fame award. Would you stand as I call your names and remain standing until all have been introduced. I will ask that you hold your applause until all have been introduced.
 

#1 Imogene Kennedy - 1988

#2 Vera Wimberly - 1989

#3 Eileen Behrman - 1990

#4 Elva Wilson - 1991

#5 Gene Tannery - 1992

#6 Corinne Larvin - 1993
 

I shall tell you something about Jack before we discuss the criteria for this award.
 

After he was graduated, he worked for Shell Chemical & Oil Company in Texas, New York & California for 17 years. I suppose he tired of living all over the states, so he came back to Houston and worked for Mitchell Energy for another 17 years.
 

In 1982 retired from Mitchell and spent his time taking care of family business and doing church work.
 

Now to answer the qualification questions:
 

Jack and Katherine joined our society in April of 1989, just barely getting him in under the wire of being a member in good standing for at least five years.
 

He just hung around for a year - not doing much of anything in the Society except being a member of our "Call Boys". Then he was tapped to fill the unexpired term of our President, Leon Kennedy, who died in February 1991. And we are so glad he was available.
 

As far as publishing is concerned. He has not published a family history, but feel that "as soon as the research is over" it will be forthcoming. He did help Katherine when she abstracted the Deed Records of Montgomery County, which were published by our Society.
 

Their latest project is to get Katherine's grandfather's and great-uncle's diaries published. These diaries were kept when they made a trip from California to Texas in 1871, which should make interesting reading.
 

The contributions he has made to our Society are many. He has been "on hand" at anytime we need him. He keeps our work crew happy with his keen sense of humor and his willingness to take on anything worth while that comes up
.

He has attended several of the Texas State Genealogical Society's yearly affairs and has personally brought back many awards our society has earned, including the Best Society Project in 1991 and a $300.00 check for that award.
 

He served our Society as head of our Grants Writing Committee and personally delivered these requests - and followed up on them. Not only when we were trying to find housing for the genealogical collection at the Montgomery County Library, but also after the bond passed and the new library was being built. We were not successful, but we worked hard on the project, especially Jack. He also represented our society on the Friends of the Library Board.
 

He headed the group that "staffed" the table at the week-long National Genealogical Society meeting in Houston in June. And was our Number One Public Relations Officer.
 

Jack was re-relected [reelected] to the Presidency in 1992, 1993, and 1994. He has taken his job as President very seriously and we have grown and prospered under his leadership, for which we thank him.
 

Jack, before I give you the plaque that proclaims you a member, I just want to read a few remarks that were on the ballots.
 

"He has served faithfully in every way he could.  He's a good worker."
 

"He deserves to receive this award because of his dedication to our MCG&HS & its members."

"Because he has been president for 100 years!"

"He has gone above & beyond the duties of president to keep our Society #1."

"He is the most qualified."

"He deserves it."

Now the time has come. Jack, will you please come up here.
 

I am so very happy to give you this plaque on behalf of the society. It is a small reward for all the hard work you have done, but one you should be very proud of for you now belong to a very elite group - the M.C.G.&H.S. Hall of Famers.

From MCG&HS Quarterly, The Herald, Vol. 17, Issue #3 & #4, 1994