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**THIS VERSION PROVIDED FOR SEARCHING/INDEXING ONLY**
A more fully navigable version is available at
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms003065
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Arthur J. Morris
A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress


Prepared by Roslyn R. Wright and Paul D. Ledvina 
Revised by John R. Monagle 
2000
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress 
Washington, D.C.
Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress 
Manuscript Division, 2003


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Collection Summary

Title:    Papers of Arthur J. Morris , 1888 - 1976 (bulk 1914 - 1960 ) 
ID No.:    MSS75924 
Creator: Morris, Arthur J., 1881-1973 
Extent:    5,800 items ; 20 containers plus 1 oversize ; 8.4 linear feet 
Repository:    Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington,
D.C. 
Abstract:    Lawyer and banker. Correspondence, writings, scrapbooks,
reports, photographs, and printed matter relating to Morris's career as a
banker and his development of consumer credit in the American banking
industry.

Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of
person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed
alphabetically therein. 
Names:
Morris, Arthur J., 1881-1973 
Financial General Corporation 
Industrial Acceptance Corporation 
Industrial Finance Corporation 
Morris Plan Corporation of America 
Morris Plan Insurance Society 
University of Virginia--Students 

Subjects:
Banks and banking--United States 
Consumer credit--United States 
Credit--United States 
Universities and colleges--Virginia--Charlottesville 

Occupations:
Bankers
Lawyers

Administrative Information
Provenance:
The papers of Arthur J. Morris, lawyer and banker, were given to the
Library of Congress by his daughter, Virginia Kincaid, from 1978 to 1983.

Processing History:
The papers of Arthur J. Morris were processed in 1980. Additional
material was processed in 1989. The collection was revised and a new
finding aid produced in 2000.

Copyright Status:
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Arthur J. Morris is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Transfers:
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other
custodial divisions of the Library. Sound recordings have been transferred
to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. Some
photographs have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division.
All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Arthur J. Morris
Papers.

Preferred Citation:
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following
information: Container number, Arthur J. Morris Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note
Date Event 
1881 , Aug. 5 Born, Tarboro, N.C. 
1899  B.A., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. 
1901  LL.B., University of Virginia Law School, Charlottesville, Va.
Began law practice, Norfolk, Va. 
1905  Married Bertha Myers (died 1960) 
1910  First Morris Plan Bank, Fidelity Savings and Trust Co., Norfolk, Va. 
1912  Fidelity Corp. of America established 
1914  Morris, Garnett and Cotten open office in New York, N.Y.
Industrial Finance Corp. established
"Morris Plan" name registered and copyrighted 
1917  Morris Plan Insurance Society established 
1918  Contract with Studebaker Corp. to finance wholesale and retail sales
Industrial Acceptance Corp. established 
1921  Trip to Europe to expand banking interest 
1925  Morris Plan Corp. of America established 
1927  Industrial Acceptance Corp. diversifies 
1933  Morris Plan banks eligible for membership in Federal Reserve
System 
1934  Morris Plan banks granted membership in Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp. 
1950  Morris Plan Insurance Society becomes Banker's Security Life
Insurance Society 
1973 , Nov. 19 Died, Ossining, N.Y. 

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Arthur Joseph Morris (1881-1973) extend from 1888 to
1976 with the bulk of the collection concentrated in the period 1914-1960
and document his involvement in the development of consumer credit in
the American banking industry. Morris's concept of "democratization of
credit" saw fruition in the initiation of the Morris Plan and the subsequent
establishment of Morris Plan banks throughout the United States. The
issuance of personal liens secured by an applicant's character and earning
power formed the basis of Morris's business. The collection contains
Correspondence, Subject File, Miscellany, Addition, and an Oversize
series. 
The Correspondence series consists of family and general correspondence.
The bulk of the family correspondence contains letters related to the illness
of Morris's wife Bertha in 1958 and her death in 1960. Morris's letters to
his daughter,Virginia Kincaid, pertain to both family and business matters.
The general correspondenceincludes letters on a variety of topics.

The Subject File, which constitutes the bulk of the collection, contains
correspondence, financial statements, operation manuals, and assorted
printed matter concerning Morris's institutional affiliations. The Morris
financial empire included the Financial General Corporation, the Industrial
Acceptance Corporation, the Industrial Finance Corporation, the Morris
Plan, Morris Plan banks, the Morris Plan Corporation of America, and the
Morris Plan Insurance Society. There are files on individuals closely
associated with Morris and his business ventures and his career as a lawyer
with the firms Morris, Garnett and Cotten and Hicks, Morris, Garnett and
Tunstall from 1914 to 1917.

The Miscellany series contains newspaper clippings, printed matter,
speeches and writings, and other material concerning institutions, such as
the Morris Plan banks, Industrial Finance Corporation, and Financial
General Corporation, as well as individuals associated with Morris. The
series also contains Morris's notes as a law school student at the University
of Virginia at the turn of the twentieth century and a transcript of an oral
history interview transcript related to the fiftieth anniversary of the Morris
Plan.

The Addition contains correspondence, printed matter, writings, and
miscellaneous material concerning the banking industry, the Morris Plan,
and legislation to break up the Financial General Corporation in 1965.

Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in five series:

Correspondence, 1902-1973, n.d. 
Subject File, 1902-1974, n.d. 
Miscellany, 1888-1976, n.d. 
Addition, 1899-1975, n.d. 
Oversize, 1893-1970, n.d.


April 15, 2004