William Yoast Morgan (April 6, 1866 – February 17, 1932) was an American newspaperman, author and politician who served as the 21stLieutenant Governor of Kansas from 1915 to 1919 under GovernorArthur Capper. He was a member of theRepublican Party.
Morgan was born inCincinnati,Ohio, where his grandfather James Morgan settled after emigrating from Ireland in 1847. Morgan's fatherWilliam Albert Morgan (1841–1917) was apprenticed to a printer and then served in the Civil War. In 1871 he moved toCottonwood Falls,Kansas and started theChase County Leader newspaper, which he continued until retiring in 1903. He also served in both houses of the state legislature. Morgan's mother Wilhelmina (Yoast) Morgan (1843–1910) was active in civic organizations and politics, serving as Mayor of Cottonwood Falls in 1885.[1] Morgan himself was educated in Cottonwood Falls and then at thestate university inLawrence, majoring in journalism.
Morgan married Colie Adair (1872–1958) in November 1890; they had one daughter, Claudia (d. 1958).[2]
After working at theLawrence Journal for two years, Morgan purchased and edited theRepublican inStrong City.[3] He sold that paper after four years and purchased theEmporia Daily Gazette; he operated that until selling it toWilliam Allen White in 1895. He then organized a corporation to purchase and operateThe Hutchinson News inHutchinson,Kansas, where he remained until his death. As of 1912 it had the largest circulation of any newspaper in central Kansas. From 1899 to 1903 he was the state printer.[4]
Morgan was active in theRepublican Party; in 1903 he was elected to theKansas House of Representatives, where he continued to serve until 1910. He wasLieutenant Governor of Kansas from 1915 to 1919, serving under GovernorArthur Capper. He was a delegate to the 1916 and 1920 Republican National Conventions, as well as the Republican candidate forGovernor of Kansas in 1922. He lost the general election toDemocratJonathan M. Davis.
Morgan had extensive business interests around Hutchinson, including the Hutchinson Printing Company. He served briefly as the president of the State Exchange Bank there. He served on theUniversity of Kansas Board of Regents, as president of the Kansas Editorial Association, as state commander of theSons of Veterans and the head of various charitable enterprises.
From 1903 until 1905, Morgan served as Archon Councilor of his fraternity,Phi Gamma Delta.[5] Letters Morgan wrote while travelling were compiled into four books:A Journey of a Jayhawker (1905),A Jayhawker in Europe (1911),The Near East (1913) and"Yurrup" As Is (1926).
Morgan Elementary School in Hutchinson is named in his honor.
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Kansas 1922 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Kansas 1915–1919 | Succeeded by |
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