Emeritus Faculty

Clovis Morrisson is a distinguished Emeritus Professor for the Department of Political Science faculty at the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University). He played a key role in shaping academic programs (including pre-law) and student opportunities. He laid the foundation for the development of the university’s Honors Program (established 1994) which became the UNT Honors College (2005) after his departure from the faculty. From 1965 until his retirement (1995), he elevated undergraduate academic rigor and faculty engagement by contributing to the formation of UNT’s Peace Studies Program (now the Conflict & Human Security program), linking constitutional law, human rights, and global justice into the curriculum. He served as the pre-law advisor for many years, and he was nominated for multiple awards over his lifetime, winning one of the first Minnie Piper Stevens awards for teaching faculty in the State of Texas (1969) and the UNT Distinguished Teaching Professor Award (1977). He also served as a public intellectual, engaging in civic life in Denton and speaking on issues such as constitutional governance and international justice. Together with his late wife, Marilyn Morrisson (his high school sweetheart), he established two scholarships at UNT—the Clovis and Marilyn Morrisson Scholarship for students (1994) and the Peace Studies Research Fund (2003)—ensuring continued support for Political Science students. They have both left a lasting legacy at UNT, and alumni today continue to reach out about the impact he has had on their lives.