Donald F. (Don) Morrison, an emeritus professor of statistics in the Wharton School, passed away peacefully on July 11. He was 91. 

Born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Dr. Morrison graduated from Melrose High School, then attended Boston University, where he received a BS in business administration in 1953. Four years later, he received an MS in statistics from the University of North Carolina, followed by a PhD, also in statistics, from Virginia Tech in 1960. After graduating, Dr. Morrison briefly worked at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, the National Institutes of Health, and Bell Laboratories, then he joined Penn’s faculty in 1963 as an associate professor of statistics in Wharton. Ten years later, he was promoted to a full professor. During his time at Penn, Dr. Morrison was an active faculty member, serving for over two decades on the University Council’s library and research committees. From 1978 to 1985, he chaired the department of statistics. 

Outside of Penn, Dr. Morrison took on leadership roles and worked extensively as a consultant. Teaching inspired him to write two textbooks: Applied Linear Statistical Methods, which was published in 1983, and Multivariate Statistical Methods, which was published in 1967 and went through four printings (most recently in 2004). Dr. Morrison became a fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1968 and of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics in 1975. During the 1970s, he served as editor of American Statistician and as associate editor of Biometrics. He had a passion for trains and contributed to the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society and the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. However, he most relished spending time in the classroom with students. 

Dr. Morrison is fondly remembered for mentoring current and former students, helping them find jobs and scholarships. “He wasn’t like that only to me. He treated everyone like a human being,” said Cyrus Mohebbi, now a head of wealth management strategies at Morgan Stanley, in a tribute to Dr. Morrison. “He invited students for Thanksgiving and Christmas to his house. He was a very nice, very sweet guy with an open-door policy.” Dr. Morrison’s kindness also extended to colleagues. “When I interviewed back in 1977, I think it was Don pushing for me that got me the job, so I have very strong feelings for him,” said fellow emeritus statistics professor Paul Shaman. “He had a gentleness in dealing with people. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body.”

In 1999, Dr. Morrison retired from active duty, taking emeritus status. After retiring, he remained active in the statistics department, serving as secretary to the department. In his retirement, he served as a trainman at the Wilmington & Western Railroad from 2001 to 2011.

Dr. Morrison is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his two sons, Norman (Gail) and Stephen (Emiko); three grandchildren; and his sister, Eleanor. A memorial service was held on August 27. Donations in Dr. Morrison’s memory should be made to the Melrose High School Scholarship Fund.