BIO:Henry Clay Morrison

1857-1942
H.C. Morrison was born in Barren County, Kentucky. His par-
ents died when he was very young, and he was reared in his 
grandfather's home. The rugged religious atmosphere and the 
constant spirit of revival throughout the bluegrass region 
made a profound impression upon him and awakened within his 
soul a consciousness of his need of Christ and the assurance 
of deliverance from sin.
        About the age of 11, he was converted and soon after 
felt the call to the ministry. Although he made no attempt to 
preach for about eight years, he was much occupied with 
church work. At the age of 19 he was licensed to preach and 
demonstrated the validity of his call in his work as circuit 
rider and station pastor. As a young man, he was called to 
one of the most responsible Methodist churches in Kentucky. 
In 1890 he left the pastorate and gave himself to the work of 
evangelism and the publication of a religious paper called 
The Old Methodist, which later became The Herald.
        Morrison's evangelistic leadership in Methodism grew 
rapidly from Kentucky to most of the other states and many 
foreign lands. A contemporary said of him, "To him was given 
by God a heart to move the multitude, a mind to think God's 
thoughts, and a voice to rouse his century, his church, and 
his country." The camp meeting became one of his chief in-
struments, and perhaps no other man ever gave more time or 
effective leadership to this phase of evangelism than he.
        In addition to this, he served as president of Asbury 
College from 1910 to 1925, and from 1933 to 1940. He was in-
strumental in founding Asbury Theological Seminary in 1923. 
William Jennings Bryan said, "I regard H.C. Morrison the 
greatest pulpit orator on the American continent." And, at 
Morrison's death in 1942, it was written of him, "A tall tree 
has fallen in the forest, but it went down with a great shout 
of victory." He died as he lived--in the midst of a campaign 
for souls.

