Azie Taylor Morton

Azie Taylor Morton (February 1, 1936 – December 7, 2003) served as Treasurer of the United States during the Carter administration from September 12, 1977, to January 20, 1981. She remains the only African American to hold that office. Her signature was printed on US currency during her tenure.[1]

Azie Taylor Morton
Official portrait
36th Treasurer of the United States
In office
September 12, 1977 – January 20, 1981
PresidentJimmy Carter
Preceded byFrancine Irving Neff
Succeeded byAngela Marie Buchanan
Personal details
Born(1936-02-01)February 1, 1936
Dale, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 7, 2003(2003-12-07) (aged 67)
Bastrop County, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJames Homer Morton
Signature

Early life

Morton was born to Fleta Hazel Taylor in a rural African-American enclave called the St. John Colony in the farming community Dale, Texas. Taylor worked as a teacher at the Crocker School for Girls, a state-sponsored school for delinquents.[2] Taylor was not deterred by these setbacks and began to work for change.

Career

Before becoming treasurer, she served on President John F. Kennedy's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. From 1972 to 1976, she was a special assistant to Robert Schwarz Strauss, the chair of the Democratic National Committee.[3] She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Personal life

Azie Taylor married James Homer Morton on May 29, 1965. The couple had two daughters, Virgie Floyd and Stacey Terry, who later brought them two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. James Homer Morton died in January 2003.[4]

Death and legacy

On December 6, 2003, Morton suffered a stroke at her home in Bastrop County, Texas, and she died of complications the next day.

In April 2018, Robert E. Lee Road in Austin was renamed Azie Morton Road in her honor.[5]

References
  1. "African Americans on Currency". Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  2. "Azie Taylor Morton (1936-2003)". Black Past. June 2011. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  3. "Women in Government: A Slim Past, But a Strong Future". Ebony: 89–92, 96–98. August 1977.
  4. The Associated Press (14 December 2003). "Azie Taylor Morton, 67, U.S. Treasurer Under Carter". The New York Times.
  5. Audrey McGlinchy, April 25, 2018, Austin City Council Votes to Rename Two Streets Named for Confederate Figures. Accessed 2018-09-10.
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