William Dowler Morris
Encyclopedia
William Dowler Morris was mayor of Ottawa
, Canada
in 1901.
He was born in County Leitrim
, Ireland
in 1857 and came to Canada
in 1877. He became involved in the oil, coal and real estate businesses; he also owned a brickyard. Morris was first elected to city council in 1892. He was forced to resign as mayor after being convicted of drinking after hours at an Ottawa hotel, an offence under the liquor license act. During his term as mayor, he was instrumental in persuading philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
to donate funds for the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library
; the city made a commitment to allocate funds for the ongoing upkeep of the library. However, the mayor of the time, James A. Ellis
, chose not to invite Morris to the 1906 opening. Morris also served as a transport officer in World War I
at the age of 60.
He died in Bermuda
in 1931.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1901.
He was born in County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1857 and came to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1877. He became involved in the oil, coal and real estate businesses; he also owned a brickyard. Morris was first elected to city council in 1892. He was forced to resign as mayor after being convicted of drinking after hours at an Ottawa hotel, an offence under the liquor license act. During his term as mayor, he was instrumental in persuading philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
to donate funds for the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library
Ottawa Public Library
The Ottawa Public Library is the library system of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and is the largest bilingual library in North America...
; the city made a commitment to allocate funds for the ongoing upkeep of the library. However, the mayor of the time, James A. Ellis
James A. Ellis
James Albert Ellis was mayor of Ottawa, Canada, from 1904 to 1906 and in 1913. He represented Ottawa West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1911 to 1914....
, chose not to invite Morris to the 1906 opening. Morris also served as a transport officer in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at the age of 60.
He died in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
in 1931.