August 22, 1941 —July 16, 2024
James Nelson Morgan passed away on July 16, 2024, in Kingsland, Texas at the age of 82. He was a talented engineer and athlete who believed physics was a gateway to understanding the universe, and he enjoyed spending time with his friends and family at home, on the golf course, or in the pool hall.
James was born on August 22, 1941, to Orus Lee Morgan and Lottie Mae (Thompson) Morgan in Port Arthur, Texas where his father worked as a pipe fitter for the oil indus try. His older brother, Orus Lee Morgan, Jr. had been born there on November 25, 1936. His parents were both from large families that were deeply rooted in the Hominy, Oklahoma area. In 1947, the Morgans moved from Port Arthur to a farm located about 14 miles east of Hominy on Highway 20 where they raised cattle, hogs, corn, and alfalfa. The family stayed on the farm throughout James’ high school career, with James and his brother doing most of the farming while their dad com- muted to work as a pipe fitter in Tulsa. In Hominy, James was an excellent student and a formidable athlete in basketball and football. He attended the University of Tulsa, graduating at the top of his class in January 1964 with a BS in Engineering Physics.
After graduation, James worked for General Electric at the Hanford facility in Richland, Washington developing commercial nuclear fuel. After serving three years in the Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician, he returned to Richland with Exxon Nuclear focusing on the development of thermo-nuclear control algorithms and system designs. In 1986, the group was acquired by Siemens and James was promoted to Vice President of Engineering, where he served for 10 years until his retirement. In 1998, James married his soul mate, Shirley Sutherland, and moved to Texas where they lived in happiness with their friends, the golf course, and nature.
James is survived by his two sons, Patrick Nelson Morgan and Jonathan James Morgan, and their families. In lieu of a service, the family will have a private celebration of life. To honor his value of education, the family is establishing a memorial fund and a scholarship program to award grants through a managed impartial application process. Donations may be made through the Tulsa Community Foundation by specifying the “James N. Morgan Memorial Fund” located at this link https://tulsacf. org/memorials/.
