Morris was born in
Portland, Oregon on October 23, 1870, to
Benjamin Wistar Morris, Episcopal Bishop of Oregon and Washington, and his wife Hannah. He attended the
Bishop Scott Academy in Oregon, and then
St. Paul's Preparatory School in
Concord, New Hampshire. Intending to become a minister, he attended
Trinity College in
Hartford, Connecticut, but he later decided to become an architect and graduated from
Columbia University in 1894. In 1895 and 1896 he continued his studies at the
École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Upon his return to the United States, Morris joined the firm of
Carrère and Hastings, where he assisted in preparing the successful entry for the design of the
New York Public Library. ==Professional life==