Paul Morgan, an Iowa native and resident of Ames, died peacefully at Mary Greeley Medical Center on Friday, August 30 at age 90. Morgan was born in Hudson, Iowa, on June 18, 1923, to Barton and Catherine (Wallace) Morgan. He graduated from Ames High School in 1941 and earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Iowa State in 1944.
Morgan married Fran Manning on January 6, 1945, in New York while he was a Lieutenant Junior Grade Seabee in the U.S. Navy, assigned to the Pacific Fleet in the Philippines Islands. After returning to Iowa, Morgan worked for the Iowa Department of Public Health and earned his master’s degree in Sanitary Engineering in 1956.
He returned to Iowa State to join the civil engineering faculty in 1953. He then moved to the Dean’s Office in 1964 and was appointed associate dean in 1969. Morgan retired in 1988, after serving as an administer and educator at Iowa State for 35 years.
“Paul Morgan was the kindest person I have worked with in the college,” said Martha Selby, adjunct assistant professor of materials science and engineering, who worked closely with Morgan in the Dean’s Office. “He was very interested in you personally, and he was a big encouragement to me as I started my career at Iowa State. He was so calm and soft-spoken.”
Paul enjoyed traveling, activities such as fishing, bowling and golfing, and spending time with family and friends. He was also a member of the United Church of Christ Congregational in Ames.
A scholarship fund was established in his name to foster education for minorities and women in engineering in Iowa. Morgan always enjoyed meeting with his scholarship recipients.
Memorials may be directed to: The Paul Morgan Scholarship, Iowa State University College of Engineering; Northcrest Retirement Community; or United Church of Christ Congregational of Ames.