Richard L. D. Morse papers (Addition)

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Biographical Series

Literary Works

Correspondence Series, Alphabetical

Subject Series, Alphabetical

Photograph & Negatives Series

Slides

Media Series

Artifact Series

Oversize Series

Printed Material

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Title: Richard L. D. Morse papers (Addition), 1912-2005

Primary Creator: Morse, Richard L. D. (1916-2000)

Extent: 72.0 Linear Feet

Arrangement: This collection is arranged into 10 series by type of material: 1) Biographical, 1940-1999, undated; 2) Literary Works, 1934-1996, undated; 3) Correspondence, 1949-2000, undated; 4) Subjects, alphabetical, 1934-2001, undated; 5) Photographs and Negatives, 1939-1998, undated; 6) Slides, undated ;7) Media, 1962-2000, undated; 8) Artifacts, 1979-1989, undated; 9) Oversize, 1951-1999, undated; 10) Printed Material, 1912, 1930-2005, undated.

Date Acquired: 01/01/2010. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Consumer movement

Languages: English

Richard Morse was born in Grinell, Iowa, on December 27, 1916. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin (1938), conducted graduate studies at the University of Chicago, Iowa State and Columbia University and received a Ph.D. from Iowa State University (1942). Following distinguished service with the U.S. Navy in World War II, Morse held teaching positions at Iowa State (1945-47), Florida State University (1947-55), and Kansas State University (1955-87), where he served as professor and head of the Department of Family Economics.

With a background in family and home economics, Morse served as a lifelong advocate for families and consumers and, eventually, became nationally and internationally known as a giant in the field of protecting consumer rights. Many of Morse’s most notable accomplishments involved his tireless efforts to have legislation passed on the federal and state levels to benefit citizens in the areas of truth-in-savings and truth-in-lending, including serving as a consumer and banking counselor for the United States Congress and Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. A "crusader" for the consumer, Morse held numerous important positions on the local, regional, and national levels including, President of Consumer Education and Protection Association for Kansans, twenty years of service on the Board of Directors of Consumers Union, appointee to Presidents John Kennedy’s and Lyndon Johnson’s U.S. Consumer Advisory Council, a founding member of the Kansas Citizens Council on Aging, member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging, and Commissioner of the Manhattan Urban Renewal Agency. In 1987, Richard Morse donated his personal papers to the Special Collections Department of K-State's Libraries and collaborated with the staff to establish the Consumer Movement Archives as a repository for the collections of consumer leaders and organizations.

Following Richard Morse's retirement from K-State in 1987, he and wife, Marjorie, dedicated their time and energy to improving the K-State Libraries through their service as co-chairs of the Essential Edge fund-raising campaign (1988-1993), leaders in the Friends of the K-State Libraries organization, and by enhancing the collections and programs of the Special Collections Department. In recognition of their financial support of Special Collections and involvement with the Consumer Movement Archives, the Richard L.D and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections was named in their honor in 1997. During K-State's commencement activities in 2000, the College of Human Ecology bestowed its initial Public Policy Award upon Richard Morse, and a Marjorie J. and Richard L. D.  Morse Family and Community Public Policy Scholarhip was established jointly by the Libraries,  College of Human Ecology, College of Business Administration, College of Arts and Sciences, and Leadership Studies. Reports written by scholarship recipients may be viewed on the Kansas State Research Exchange (K-REx).

Richard Morse passed away on June 3, 2000. Marjorie Morse followed a few years later, dying on March 4, 2003.

Consumer movement

Repository: Morse Department of Special Collections

Accruals: This is an addition to the original donation made by Richard L. D. Morse (P1987.11).

Access Restrictions: No access restriction: All materials are open for research.

Use Restrictions: The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel law as they apply.

Physical Access Note: Original materials available during open hours of repository for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Technical Access Note: Collection contains materials that are no accessible without proper technology.

Acquisition Source: Nancy Morse

Acquisition Method: Donation.

Appraisal Information: Documents arrived after the original donation of Richard L. D. Morse's papers.

Related Materials:

The following selected sources provide additional information on Consumer Movement:

Agan (Anna Tessie) Papers

American Council on Consumer Interests

American Council on Consumer Interests (Metzen Addition)

Americans for Fairness in Lending

Brooks (Thomas) Collection

Brunn (George) Collection

Consumer Federation of America

Dartland (Walter T.) papers

Hawkins (Nancy) Collecion

Kiesling (Roy) Papers

Mason (Florence) Collection

Meyer (Louis S.) Papers

Morse (Richard L. D.) papers

National Consumer Law center (NCLC) Records

Shields (Currin V.) Papers

Williams (Alma) papers

Wilner (Dorothy K.) Papers

Preferred Citation: [Item title], [item date], Richard L. D. Morse papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Morse Department of Special Collections, Consumer Movement Archives, Kansas State University Libraries.

Processing Information: This collection was processed at the series level.