E. Frederic Morrow

Everett Frederic Morrow
Born	Template:Birth date Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	July 19, 1994(1994-07-19) (aged 85) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	White House executive, bank executive, author
Years active	1935–1975
Known for	First African American senior executive in the White House; Administrative Officer for Special Projects under President Dwight Eisenhower

Everett Frederic Morrow (April 20, 1909 – July 19, 1994) was the first African American to occupy a senior executive position within the White House. From 1955 until 1961, he served President Dwight Eisenhower as the Administrative Officer for Special Projects.

Early life

Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Morrow was the son of John Eugene Morrow, who transitioned from a library custodian to a Methodist minister, and Mary Ann Hayes, who had worked as a farm laborer and maid. Both parents were descendants of formerly enslaved individuals.

He completed his education at Hackensack High School in 1925, where he held the role of debate team president. Additionally, Morrow was affiliated with the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

His brother, John H. Morrow, held diplomatic positions including Ambassador to Guinea and U.S. delegate to UNESCO.

Education

Morrow attended Bowdoin College from 1926 to 1930 as one of only two African American students but left prior to graduation to support his family. He later earned a law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. In recognition of his accomplishments, Bowdoin conferred upon him an honorary LL.D. in 1970.

Early career

By 1935, Morrow had taken on the role of business manager for Opportunity Magazine, connected to the National Urban League. In 1937, he became a field secretary for the NAACP. His military service began in World War II when he enlisted in 1942 as a private; he advanced rapidly to sergeant, completed Officers Candidate School, and was discharged in 1946 holding the rank of Major in the Artillery. Subsequently, he worked as a writer for CBS.

Political activity and White House period

Following participation in Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential campaign team, Morrow served as an advisor to the U.S. Commerce Department before being appointed Administrative Officer for Special Projects at the White House—the first African American to hold such an executive position there.

His tenure coincided with pivotal civil rights milestones such as Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the Little Rock integration crisis. Throughout this period, Morrow encountered considerable professional obstacles. Despite dissatisfaction with the administration’s cautious approach to civil rights and limited opportunities for African Americans in senior political roles, he maintained a steadfast and professional presence within the presidential staff.

In the 1960 presidential election cycle, Morrow supported Richard Nixon’s campaign by delivering a prime-time address at the Republican National Convention and participating in the caucus selecting Nixon’s running mate.

Post-White House life

In 1964, Morrow broke new ground as Bank of America’s first African American vice-president, a position he held until his retirement in 1975. He died on July 19, 1994, at Mount Sinai Hospital located in Manhattan.

Books and papers

After the 1960 campaign, Morrow authored Black Man in the White House, recounting his experiences within the White House while addressing issues such as racial discrimination and frequent misidentification in professional environments.

His autobiography Way Down South Up North, published in 1973, explored themes of northern racism centered on his hometown of Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1980, following his retirement from Bank of America, he released Forty Years a Guinea Pig: A Black Man's View from the Top.

Collections of Morrow’s papers are preserved at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Chicago Public Library’s Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, and the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans.

Additional sources

• From Hackensack to the White House: The Triumph and Travail of E. Frederic Morrow, Michael J. Birkner
• Jet obituary