[1] The direct predecessor of Morris was built in 1897 and established as the Mixed High School, situated in a small brick building on 157th Street and 3rd Avenue, about six blocks south of where the new building would be built.

The only building structure dedicated to k-12 education is the Marist brothers operated Mount St Michael Academy which only enrolls boys as of June 2024.

[3] Originally named Peter Cooper High School after Peter Cooper, the school was renamed Morris High School to commemorate a famous Bronx landowner, Gouverneur Morris,[1][4] one of the signers of the United States Constitution and credited as author of its Preamble.

In 1983, the school and surrounding area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Morris High School Historic District.

[6] Alumni include Armand Hammer, Arthur Murray, and Colin Powell.