Elizabeth Alexandra Morton

Elizabeth Alexandra Morton Breese Tilton (August 19, 1883 – January 15, 1964) was an American philanthropist, based on Long Island, New York. The Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge is named for her.

This article is about the New York philanthropist. For the British actress, see Elizabeth Morton. For the Canadian librarian, see Elizabeth Homer Morton.
Elizabeth Alexandra Morton
A young white woman wearing a large plumed hat, a white dress, and a fur stole.
Elizabeth Alexandra Morton, from a photograph published in 1904.
BornAugust 19, 1883
DiedJanuary 15, 1964
Southampton, New York, USA
Other namesElizabeth Morton Breese, Elizabeth Breese Tilton, Betty Morton
OccupationPhilanthropist
Known forElizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge
RelativesFrederic W. Tilton (father-in-law after 1921)

Early life

Elizabeth Alexandra Morton was born in 1883, the daughter of Alexander Logan Morton and Mary E. Barber Morton.[1] Her father was a West Point graduate from Virginia, who became a lawyer in New York and founder of the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island.[2]

Career

After her second divorce, Morton resumed her birth name, moved into her parents' property, and donated almost two hundred acres on Long Island to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the mid-1950s.[3][4] The Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge is named for her,[5] and was the first national wildlife refuge named for a woman (the three others are named for Rachel Carson, Elizabeth S. Hartwell, and Julia Butler Hansen).[6] She donated additional land to the Nature Conservancy in 1957, which became part of the Wolf Swamp Reserve.[7]

Personal life

Morton married twice. Her first husband was Sidney Salisbury Breese, son of James L. Breese; they married in 1907[8][9] and divorced in 1919.[10] Her second husband was businessman Newell Whiting Tilton, son of educator Frederic W. Tilton; they married in 1921,[11] and later divorced.[12] Elizabeth Alexandra Morton died in 1964, aged 80 years, in Southampton.

References
  1. "Sidney Breese Married Today". The Oregon Daily Journal. 1907-07-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-01-28 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Miss Elizabeth A. Morton". The Times Dispatch. 1904-06-19. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-01-27 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Starin, Dennis (1975-05-18). "Cycle of Life Is Maintained at Morton Refuge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  4. "New Grants of Land Enlarge Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge" press release, Department of the Interior (June 5, 1956).
  5. "Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge". - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  6. "Are any wildlife refuges named for women?". National Wildlife Refuge System, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  7. Naylor, Natalie A. (2016). "Long Island Women Preserving Nature and the Environment". Long Island History Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  8. "Breese and Phelps Weddings". The Washington Times. 1907-06-30. p. 31. Retrieved 2021-01-27 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Mr. Sidney S. Breese to Wed Miss Morton on July 20". Wilkes-Barre Times. 1907-06-28. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-01-28 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Another Surprising Romance in the Breese Family". Buffalo Courier. 1921-06-05. p. 69. Retrieved 2021-01-28 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Sydney Breese to Wed Red Cross Worker; Engineer, 37, Will Marry Miss Paula A. Matsner, 26, in Ethical Culture Rooms Today". The New York Times. 1921-05-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  12. "NEWELL W. TILTON, 84, INVESTMENT BANKER". The New York Times. 1963-06-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
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