Morris College was founded in 1908 by
Jacob J. Durham, initially as grade school, high school, and college. The college is named after Frank Morris, a leader of the African American community of South Carolina. The college's first president was
Edward M. Brawley (1908–1912). Morris College awarded its first bachelor's degree in 1915 under the administration of the college's second president
John J. Starks. The college's third president was
Ira David Pinson, who steered the college to expansion during the Great Depression. The college's fourth president was James P. Garrick, who served from 1930 until 1946. During his tenure, the Department of Religion developed a series of courses called the "Standard Leadership Curriculum". In 2023, Morris College received funding from the
National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to create plans for preserving the school's historic buildings, some of which date back to 1924. == Academics ==