EDITOR’S NOTE: The current issue of NCWV Life Magazine features stories of those we see as pillars of their North Central West Virginia communities or the Mountain State as a whole. This is the first in a series of stories on these people who inspire us and the region to be our best.
GLENVILLE, W.Va. (WV News) — It might surprise some people to know that despite all that he’s done for West Virginia and Gilmer County in particular, legendary oil and natural gas man Ike Morris is not a native son of either.
He was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Illinois, but he’s been a proud West Virginian by choice since 1962 and has called Glenville home since then as well.
“It’s just a love I have for West Virginia and for the people,” Morris said. “For me, when I first came here in the ’60s, it was survival and everybody helped me so much.”
Like his father, Morris was a born oil and gas man, taking the skills his father taught him and bringing them to West Virginia, where “a big oil and gas boom was going on.”
Morris had an old, beat-up truck, but he provided great well service, building on his strong work performance and benefiting from banks that were willing to lend him money as he was starting his business.
“I may not have been able to pay all my bills on Monday, but by Friday I could,” Morris said in describing the tight financial conditions in which he first opened what would become one of the top independently owned oil and gas companies in the state.
Morris’ business acumen became well-known quickly, as his well service business fueled his well and land purchasing business.
After the oil and gas boom that brought him to West Virginia, when hundreds of people were selling out, Morris was buying and accumulated more than 1,500 wells that were still producing.
“They weren’t big wells, but if they were making $1,500 a month, each well, you can be pretty successful in a hurry,” Morris said with a chuckle.
Morris’ business empire has included Waco Oil & Gas, which eventually included mergers with the I.L. Morris Well Service Inc. and Trio Petroleum Corp., as well as Little Kanawha Development Corp and Landaplenty LLC.
While plenty can be written of Morris’ business success, the even more noteworthy story is what he’s chosen to do with his success.
Paying it back — and forward
“I’ve lived a charmed life,” Morris said early in the interview for this story. “I couldn’t have survived without the good people of Glenville, of West Virginia, who were willing to give me a chance, to give me credit, to trust me at the beginning.”
Morris has never forgotten those people and the state and region that gave him his first big break.
He credits his wife, Sue Morris, a native of Taylor County, as well as his children, Doug and Shelly, for also sharing the vision and dream of helping give back to those who helped the Morris family.
From their generosity to Glenville State University to all of Gilmer County and Central West Virginia, as well as West Virginia University, Ike and Sue Morris and the Morris Foundation are known for their unwavering support of projects and programs that help West Virginians and the Mountain State grow and prosper.
Those familiar with Glenville and Gilmer County see firsthand what Ike Morris and family have done, especially for Glenville State University but also the small rural community.
Morris has at times almost single-handedly kept Glenville State open, thanks to his generous donations and also his political influence.
Now, with Dr. Mark Manchin as president, the newly crowned Glenville State University is on a firm foundation for growth.
“I’ve been fortunate to be around people who have given tremendously to make a difference since early in my life,” Manchin said. “What he’s meant to Glenville State over the years, to Glenville and Gilmer County and to Central West Virginia … he really values the importance of education, and he knows without Glenville State, many in that region wouldn’t have the opportunities they have because the school continues to provide. This is a challenged low socio-economic area, as are neighboring counties, so Glenville State provides chances for education and prosperity.”
Morris’ commitment to Glenville and Gilmer County doesn’t stop at just the school, though.
“People know of some of the things he and his family have done, but they’ll never likely know all of it,” Manchin said. “You see the sports complexes and such; you hear about his contributions to the college. But he does so much behind the scenes for people and projects in the community.
“He does so much for the students at Glenville. He makes sure they are taken care of, even when the school is closed over holidays and such. If students can’t get home, he makes sure they get fed. He makes sure they have what they need. He’s always providing and giving, and never wants anything in return or attention.”
Perhaps one of the Morris family’s lesser-known projects to those outside the region was the decision to take over three local grocery stores that were near failure.
Had the stores closed, the region would have even less in the way of food supplies close at hand. Now the three stores are successful and are part of the Morris Foundation.
Ike Morris has given much during his lifetime, but it’s more than just money that makes the man special.
“Here’s a guy that could go anywhere in the world,” David Alvarez said. “But his passion for Gilmer County, for Glenville, for West Virginia, keeps him right here.”
Alvarez, a successful businessman in his own right and past chairman of the West Virginia University Board of Governors, has seen Morris do much with his time and resources to help others.
“It’s refreshing to watch someone so committed, so smart and so energetic,” Alvarez said. “He builds relationships with people. He’s known every governor, every legislator, and they respect him and listen. They know when it comes to business, he’s got a special ability to make great things happen.”
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice echoed the high praise, noting that Morris is known for “doing the right thing the right way.”
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of praise,” Justice said. “Not only does he exemplify that it is the giver that always wins, but he is also stuck on, always looking to do more. He does so much for so many.
“He is a great, great man and a great, great West Virginian. No one will ever know all that he’s done for our people, and let’s hope it’s a story that will continue for many, many, many more years. He is a true blessing.”
There are people who have the gift of fitting in no matter the place, and Ike Morris fits that description well. So whether gathering with governors or U.S. senators, or with a handful of local friends, including education leaders and even a newspaperman or two, Morris has a knack for being right at home.
“He’s witty and intelligent,” Alvarez said of his friend. “He makes sure those around him know that he cares.”
That isn’t lost on Manchin, who is often with Morris when they visit Clarksburg and other parts of the North Central West Virginia region.
“Ike is a special man with special gifts,” Manchin said. “He is a tremendous businessman, very intelligent and very giving. He makes those around him feel special, and he is motivated to make a difference.”
For Morris, that goes back to a belief he shares often — that life is full of givers and takers.
“And I want to be, and my family to be, givers,” Morris said.
As he nears age 85 and his 60th wedding anniversary with Sue, Ike Morris knows he has been blessed in things far greater than riches.
And he wants to share those blessings with others. That’s why he and his family have endowed the Morris Foundation to continue the effort long after he moves on.
“To provide opportunity, to inspire in others to give, to make sure this region and state has the chance that it has given me and my family,” Morris said as he looked toward the future. “It’s about giving people a chance and inspiring them to be the best.”
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