Meet Treasurer Lillard

History of Tennessee Treasurers

Learn about the treasurers who have served the State of Tennessee and compare annual reports from prior decades.

William Morrow

William Morrow

11th Treasurer; Years Served: 1871–1877

Tennessee County of Residence: Campbell/Davidson

Place of Birth: Jacksboro, Campbell County, Tennessee

Date of Birth: February 28, 1839

Date of Death: March 18, 1910

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Treasurer's Reports: 1873-74, 1871-72, 1870-71

History

William Morrow was born on February 28, 1839 in the community of Jacksboro in Campbell County, Tennessee. He was the only child of Robert Morrow and Emaline McAdoo Morrow. In 1860, he married Elizabeth Luttrell from Knoxville, Tennessee. Eventually, Elizabeth and William had eight children.

Treasurer Morrow studied medicine and graduated from the University of Tennessee and from the College of Medicine in Brooklyn, New York. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Treasurer Morrow returned from New York to Tennessee and joined the provisional Tennessee army as an assistant surgeon. As time moved along, Treasurer Morrow was transferred to the Confederate army and served on hospital duty until the evacuation of East Tennessee. In the last years of the war, Treasurer Morrow became the medical surveyor for General Stewart’s corps of the Army of Tennessee. After the Civil War, Morrow became involved in the mercantile business and worked briefly in Madison, Georgia and Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 1871, Treasurer Morrow was elected as the State Treasurer of Tennessee and served in that role for six years. At the completion of his service as State Treasurer, Treasurer Morrow became involved in other business ventures such as partnering with a wagon making business and helping introduce the electric railway car transportation system in Nashville.

In 1897, Treasurer Morrow was appointed by Governor Robert L. Taylor as the State Prison Commissioner and served in that capacity for two years. A few years later, in 1904, Treasurer Morrow was elected as the Register of Davidson County. In 1906, after the end of his term as Register, Treasurer Morrow retired. Only a few years later, on March, 18, 1910, Treasurer Morrow passed away as a result of a fatal stroke.

Reference: “Dr. W.M. Morrow Dies from Apoplexy Stroke,” The Nashville Tennessean, 19 March 1910, p.5; “Fatal Stroke for Dr. Morrow,” The Nashville American, 19 March 1910, p.1; Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1959 (Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN), Roll #: M-14; “Dr. William Morrow,” in The Confederate Veteran Magazine v. 18, p. 243 Nashville, TN, 1910.

Contact Us


Have questions about the history of the Tennessee Treasury?  We're here to help!

Heather Sczepczenski, Treasurer's History Project

(615) 741-2956

Heather.Sczepczenski@tn.gov

Mailing Address


Tennessee State Treasurer
Tennessee State Capitol, 1st Floor
600 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Nashville, TN 37243-0225