He is a graduate of Marmion Academy and Northern Illinois University.
[1] In 1974, he defeated incumbent Republican John H. Conolly that saw the Democratic Party win a majority of seats in the Illinois Senate for the first time in over a decade.
While in the Senate, he was a member of the "Crazy 8," a group of reform-minded Democrats, and an opponent of the Regional Transportation Authority.
[4] Larry Leonard, a fellow newscaster and Democratic precinct committeeman, was appointed to succeed Morris.
Leonard lost his election bid to Adeline Geo-Karis.