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Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.
Howard Vincent Morgan (1914-2012) was born in Tillamook, Oregon and attended Jefferson High School and Reed College, graduating with a degree in economics. Morgan was the son of a commercial fisherman who would go on to be elected to the Oregon state legislature.
He also served as Oregon's Public Utilities Commissioner (1957-1959). His career as commissioner was controversial; he often filed dissenting opinions in the face of a majority vote. He insisted that the public interest take precedence over all other considerations. As a "courageous champion of the public interest and friend of the people," the Western States Water and Power Consumers Conference presented him with their 1963 Leland Olds Award. He would later serve as Federal Power Commissioner in 1961.
Morgan also chaired the Democratic Party of Oregon from 1952-1956. He ran again for public office as a candidate in Oregon's 1966 senatorial race, on an anti-Vietnam War platform, but was defeated in the primaries.
In private life he had been a livestock rancher since 1948 and co-owner and executive of a heavy-construction firm in Portland.
The collection contains Federal Power Commission (FPC) files including correspondence, memoranda, and subject files, Oregon files that include Oregon Public Utilities Commissioner files, correspondence relating to Oregon matters, Morgan's senatorial campaign files, biographical material, and printed matter.
Series I: Federal Power Commission files (1961-1963) include correspondence, memoranda, and subject files. (Personal and Oregon related correspondence during this period can be found in the Oregon files in Series II).
Outgoing correspondence is organized by date, 1961-1963.
Incoming correspondence (1961-1963) is filed alphabetically by last name or agency title and includes other public utility associations, commissions, boards, or companies, Oregon senators, representatives, other elected officials, and federal and state agencies. Also available are letters regarding Morgan's appointment to the FPC and decision not to accept reappointment, and memoranda and other communications between members of the FPC.
Subject files concern correspondence, research materials, and reports on power companies, power and gas companies in the Pacific Northwest, and fish runs. Miscellaneous material includes a notebook with Morgan-Swindler memos, letters, speeches by Morgan, reports, copies of Morgan's dissents, photographs, and travel records.
Series II: Oregon files include Oregon Public Utilities Commissioner files, correspondence relating to Oregon matters, Morgan's senatorial campaign files, biographical material, and printed matter.
Outgoing correspondence is organized by date, 1953-1973.
Incoming correspondence (1953-1966) is alphabetically organized by last name or agency title and includes Democratic Party organizations, Oregon senators, representatives, other elected officials, power companies and associations, and trucking associations, among others.
Also included here is correspondence regarding Morgan's appointment as Public Utilities Commissioner.
Miscellaneous files include an Alaskan highway study, Public Commissioner files including speeches, statements, and correspondence, Morgan's senatorial campaign files of 1966, press clippings, and biographical material that includes a project regarding the departure of Morgan from the FPC.
Printed matter contains pamphlets and reports on international and national power and fishery projects.