Morris R. Whitehead was born in New Providence, Iowa on September 16, 1930 to Kermit and Mary Whitehead. He attended schools in that community and graduated from high school in 1948. He then enrolled at Ellsworth Community College and graduated in 1950. The Korean War broke out in June of that year and Morris enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in February of 1951 with his primary duty station being Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After his discharge from the Air Force, Morris enrolled at Baylor University at Baylor, Texas where he graduated in 1956. He then taught mathematics and science at Toledo, Washington. Following that he taught and served as principal at the high school in Roland, Iowa and then became principal of the high school in Hudson, Iowa. Morris and Jane Browning met in San Antonio, Texas, while he was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base and were married on June 18, 1955. During the summer and the school years of 1960 to 1963 as well, he was enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa in a masters degree program in School Administration and successfully completed the requirements for that degree in 1963. In 1964 Morris was offered and accepted the position as executive director at Quakerdale. At that time there were 11 boys enrolled, five staff members and one building. The future did not look bright. Much progress and growth was experienced in the next 25 years under Morris’ leadership. The number of students enrolled increased to 120, staff members to 130 with centers at Manning, Waterloo, Marshalltown and New Providence, and the budget from $36,000 to $3.6 million by the time of Morris’ retirement in 1990. Much of the credit for the success of the service to children and the growth of Quakerdale would go to Jane who worked alongside Morris both as a volunteer and staff member involved in public relations and fund raising. Jane retired in 1991 after 31 years of service. Morris was elected to the Iowa Valley Community College District Board of Directors in 1969 and remained on that board until 1990. He served as its president for 16 years. This was a period of dramatic change for this fledgling district and Morris once again provided leadership for the growth of the total district and Ellsworth Community College. In 1991 Morris was asked to become a member of the Ellsworth College Board of Trustees and he continues in that role today. In recognition of his long association with Ellsworth Community College, the Ellsworth College Board of Trustees and the Iowa Valley Community College District conferred upon Morris an Honorary Doctor of Pedagogy degree at the 106th Ellsworth Community College Commencement Ceremony on May 11, 1996. He passed away May 15, 2006 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Morris and Jane have been blessed with two children, Dan, a missionary pilot, at Shell, Equador and Nancy Schornack, a counselor in Des Moines. They have five grandchildren.