Sigma Mourns the Passing of International Grand Basileus LaRona Morris

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Donations can be made to the LaRona J. Morris Scholarship Fund via the National Education Fund, c/o Laura Vann, P.O. Box 18616, Indianapolis, IN, 46218. Please specify the Dr. LaRona J. Morris Scholarship in the memo area of your check or money order.


Former Grand Basileus Dr. LaRona Morris Passes
Linda S. Lawson
Of the Suburban Journals
Belleville Journal
07/06/2005

As LaRona Morris' granddaughter, 12 year, Crystan, perused through hundreds of get well and inspirational cards from every state she remarked, "My grandma is famous."

Yes, Morris was in Ebony, Jet, and USA Today. Yes, she was listed as one of the nation's most influential African Americans. Yes, she was listed in more than 20 professional biographies.

However, the brilliancy of Morris' life was not in the titles or letters behind her name, but that she wore it with such a humility and grace that people, including her own granddaughter would never know.

LaRona Jayne Morris died Saturday, July 2, 2005 surrounded by her family.

Morris' birthright, from the day she was born in 1942 to the late James Clark Walls and Norma Slack Walls, was a life predestined for greatness.

In her 62 years, she steadily ascended to national ranks, achieving astronomical heights, but never forgetting her roots or giving back to the community that nurtured her.

From local soil to a nation's stage, Morris fully lived up to the moniker of superwoman, creating a series of firsts to honor black women.

Nationally, she is best known as the 18th International Grand Basileus and youngest living past, of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, a position in which she served from 1996 until 2000. She is the only East St. Louisan to serve as head of a national sorority. Prior to her Basileus position, she served as International Grand Anti-Grammateus and Secretary of the Board since 1986.

"She was a visionary and great orator. She could be put in front of a group of individuals and just motivate them," said Jennifer Jones, Interim Director of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.

During her national platform she initiated Operation Big Book Bag, a community service project that provided school supplies to disadvantaged youth in homeless shelters and crisis centers. She also launched a nationwide adolescent youth symposium to help teens deal with peer pressure.

Her community involvement was innumerable including serving on the boards of the NAACP, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and Big Brother/Big Sisters

She also helped make local history when she became deputy city clerk under the late Mayor James E. Williams. It was an era ushering in the first African Americans into East St. Louis government.

From the beginning, Morris made education the bedrock of her success.

She received both her Bachelors in Business Education and her Masters in Counselor Education from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Her educational fortitude lead to acceptance into Phi Delta Kappa, Pi Lamba Theta Honor Society. She is also a member of the American Mensa Ltd, an exclusive organization with those of the highest IQ's in the nation.

Morris shared her drive for educational excellence with her sister, Stephanie Carpenter. Together, they wanted to ensure they were educationally prepared to share with the community.

"We always wanted to be knowledgeable and you had to validate that knowledge. We wanted people to have the confidence to know we knew what we were doing," Carpenter said.

The two pursued their doctorate degrees together. Three days a week, following work, they would drive to class in Carbondale.

"We wouldn't get home until like two in the morning," Carpenter recalled. "Now, there seemed like a sense of urgency to finish things. We decided to work on our doctorates in the 70's and set out to do it."

As a trailblazer in the education field, she served as Special Assistant to the St. Clair County Regional Superintendent of Schools under Martha O'Malley for 13 years, the first African American to hold the position.

Following her tenure with the county, she was an assistant principal, and ascended to principal at Wirth Jr. High School in Cahokia.

In 1997, Morris was elected to the school board of District 189. She was reelected to her second term, but resigned when she was offered a position as an assistant principal at East St. Louis Sr. High. Most recently, she served as principal at Clark High School until her death.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Morris, a dedicated educator and public servant whose commitment to service and expressed desire to uplift humanity is unparalleled," in a statement released by District 189 School District spokesperson, Douglas Clark. "Her passing has created a tremendous void within our immediate area, as well as the global community, for she was truly a world citizen, in both body and thought. She will most certainly be missed."

How her life ended exemplified the sense of humanity Clark described.

Despite the fight to just literally draw breath in the vestiges of lung cancer, last month she personally addressed dozens of thanks you notes for all the calls, visits and expressions of support.

"She was just so grateful for her life and how nice everyone had been," Carpenter said.

And she chose to use her last moments to not think of herself but to express that gratitude to others.

Morris lay in state for viewing on July 9th in the gymnasium of Lincoln Sr. High School. Funeral services were held on July 10th at the Church of God In Christ Congregational, 918 Bond Avenue.