Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1901-1980 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
25.375 m of textual records and other material.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Canadian lawyer and judge William George Morrow was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1917. Graduated in law from The University of Alberta and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1940. Serving in the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, W.G. Morrow achieved the rank of Lieutenant, and was mentioned in D-Day despatches. In 1947 he married Genevieve Henry and they had four children, William Henry, Pauline May, Lee Walker and John Martin. He was created Queen's Counsel in 1953. He was called to the Bars of the Northwest Territories in 1959, British Columbia in 1961, and the Yukon in 1962. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in 1966, succeeding the first NWT judge, John Sissons. In 1976 he became an Alberta Supreme Court Judge. Justice Morrow was noted for his precedent-setting judicial decisions in northern Canada and for his common sense in the application of justice in cases involving citizens of the Territories. Died in 1980.
William George Morrow, 1917-1980, was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He studied law at the University of Alberta and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1940. In 1947 he married Genevieve Henry and they had four children, William Henry, Pauline May, Lee Walker and John Martin. He was called to the Bars of the NWT in 1959, British Columbia in 1961 and the Yukon in 1964. He served as Justice of the Supreme Court of the NWT, 1966-1976, succeeding the first NWT judge, John Sissons, 1891-1969. He then became a Justice of the Alberta Supreme Court. William Morrow was regarded as a champion of native rights. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Calgary in 1975.
Archival history
Acquired in 1977-1980, 1982-1983, and 1998. Accession 636/98.12 donated by Mrs. Genevieve Morrow.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds consists of the following series: correspondence (1938-1980); general subject (1913-1980; predominant 1940-1980); case file (1931-1979); commissions and committees (1955-1980); conference and seminar (1958-1979); articles, speeches, lectures and autobiography (1938-1980); scrapbook (1939-1980); personal ([193?]-1979); works about W.G. Morrow (1936-1976); miscellaneous ([19--], 1921-1976); map ([19--]); sound recording )[19--], 1968-1975); graphic material ([19--], 1921-1976); diaries (1967-1980). Early material in the general subject series and the case file series appears to be documents collected as legal reference material.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Some items and series restricted.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Text in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
File level inventory available at repository.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of the fonds.
Note
Includes ca 4705 slides, ca 2654 photographs, 1407 negatives, 63 negative strips, 12 sound recordings, 3 drawings, 2 posters and 1 print.
Note
Where possible, the original arrangement has been maintained, and any internal indexing has been left in place, as, for instance, in the judgments series, where file contents were often numbered and indexed either by legal subject or proper names by Morrow. Files titles have also been maintained as much as possible, except for minor changes necessary for filing consistency.