Mrs. Morris was born Julia Elizabeth Callis in Syracuse, NY. She received her teaching degree from the University of Wisconsin and began her career at Elburn Community High School. She became associated with the community theater group called Elburn Players and, for 15 years, was its director. In Elburn, Julia met Charles Lee Morris and they married in 1928. She gave up teaching shortly after her marriage. During the 1938-39 school year, she taught 5th and 6th grades at Elburn Elementary School. During WWII, she was pressed into service teaching English and French at the high school where she also coached drama and speech. When Kaneland High School opened, she began teaching again. When her husband died Mrs. Morris returned to her studies and earned a master’s degree in library science at NIU. She held the position of Reference Librarian in Glen Ellyn until her retirement in 1970. Julia Morris founded the Girl Scout Troop in Elburn, and she helped found the Fortnightly Literary Club. She served 25 years on the Elburn Library Board and the Red Cross Board of Directors. In 1985, Mrs. Morris established the Elburn Scholarship Fund, the fruition of a dream she shared with her husband.
The scholarship is awarded to students who will be graduating or have graduated from Kaneland High School. Eligible students must be attending a public institution in Illinois and be able to demonstrate involvement in extracurricular activities and service to their community and school.
