A rumor circulated recently that Augusta businessman Billy Morris III had passed away and thankfully, the rumor was put to rest quickly; Mr. Morris is alive and well, enjoying his well-earned retirement.
I have been trying to get an interview with Morris for my “Keeping up with…” article series for the better part of three years, and I am told by those close to him that while Mr. Morris still comes into the office everyday, he is effectively retired from public life and wishes to remain so.
Certainly, I can appreciate his cherished privacy; but I don’t think that is the reason. I know for a fact that Morris has a sense of loyalty that is off-the-charts, and he might think it almost treason for him to give an interview to any local publication other than his beloved Augusta Chronicle, even though he has not owned that newspaper in many years.
I totally respect that.
The fact is, The Augusta Press has familial links to the daily newspaper that Morris ran for decades, and he might not even be aware of it.
My grandfather was once Billy Morris’ right-hand-man.
It is through those familial links that I can tell you a bit of what I know of Morris’ character, a man who dominated Augusta media, politics, philanthropy and business for decades, without interviewing him personally.
I want to do that because I think we should cherish our pioneering community members while they are still with us rather than wait until it is eulogy time.
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My great-grandfather was a printer in Alabama, and he apprenticed my grandfather, Thomas Daniel Hudson, in the trade until a custody dispute separated them and my grandfather was sent to live with his deceased mother’s family.
Danny Hudson ran away at age 16, obtained forged paperwork that altered his age and joined the Marines in 1943; he survived two shipwrecks in the Pacific theatre of World War II and came back stateside a grizzled 18-year-old decorated war veteran.
After the war, Danny decided to get into his father’s trade and took a series of jobs working for print companies, but his temper tended to get the best of him, and he struggled to move up any corporate ladder.
Now, Danny Hudson, my grandfather, was not an abusive man by any stretch; he was a gentle giant, but he cussed like, well, a seasoned salt of the seven seas.
My Grandpa could string obscenities together like an artisan stranding a pearl necklace, but never in his life did he take the Lord’s name in vain. He was kind of pious about that.
My family tells the story that Grandpa got a job in the printing department of The Augusta Chronicle in the mid 1960s and my father, Tommy Hudson, also took a job as a paperboy. While my dad loved earning a few dollars a week slinging newspapers onto lawns, his dad, Danny, was not fitting in well as a print supervisor.
The employees claimed Danny acted towards them like a drill sergeant commanding cadets.
While his immediate bosses wanted him fired, Billy Morris had taken a shine to Danny and realized that under that rough exterior was an honest, loyal fellow and a great employee. Morris just had to find the right environment for Danny, so he transferred him from the newspaper to go and oversee his Wade Plantation.
Danny excelled in that role. He was an avid outdoorsman and a bear of a man with a knack for meticulous attention to detail. When celebrity friends of the Morris family would visit the plantation for hunts on the property, Danny would make sure the cabins were shipshape and stocked with the occupant’s favorite libations and even fresh-cut flowers.
On those hunting trips, the former marine endeared himself to the celebrity crowd by just being his rough and tumble self.
When someone like Clint Eastwood, a regular to the ranch, according to my family, would ask a question, such as, will a wild boar actually charge at you? Danny’s response would be, “does a bear s*** in the woods?”
In fact, if you watch Eastwood movies, you might even conclude that Danny Hudson inspired the character of “Dirty Harry.” Grandpa had that same laser-like stare in his eyes.
One day, Morris approached Danny and gave him a special mission. He was to go on a private jet to Austin, Texas where he was to pick up several paintings and personally ensure they safely made it back to Augusta.
Before long, Danny was tasked with going on more trips to collect art. Ever the loyal Marine, Danny Hudson never asked Morris why he was collecting enough artwork for an entire museum. He just simply did his job as Morris knew he would.
My grandfather flew all over the Southern United States to transport the paintings that now comprise the Morris Museum of Art.
In 1980, Danny suffered a catastrophic stroke that paralyzed him and left him unable to communicate other than a few slurred words. Normally, a corporation as large as the Morris empire would simply allow that employee to draw disability; however, Billy Morris was having none of that when it came to Danny Hudson.
Morris continued to pay Danny his full salary until he reached retirement age and allowed him full benefits after that. When Danny passed away, Morris called my grandmother and asked what funeral home was handling Danny’s final wishes.
Morris bought a beautiful casket for his loyal employee and friend, and he paid all of the burial costs out of his own pocket.
In his prime, Billy Morris was a go-getter, a fierce negotiator, a political powerhouse and he controlled the oldest newspaper in the South. Morris was also controversial; detractors went after him for suggesting the taxpayers pay for his “Billy Barn,” others called him tyrannical for exercising his right as publisher of a newspaper to air his own opinions.
In reality, the list of achievements of Billy Morris are too numerous to encapsulate in one article. Along with others such as J.B. Fuqua and Bobby Jones, Morris is a man who has left his indelible stamp on modern Augusta.
Most of Morris’ career happened before I was born or when I was but a kid; however, my family can attest to the fact that Billy Morris is a man with a heart of gold and someone we should all hold in esteem.
Perhaps on his next birthday, he will allow the community to bake him a cake and show him the love he has earned.
Salute! Sir!
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
