Azie Taylor Morton

Azie Taylor Morton
Official Portrait
36th Treasurer of the United States
In office
September 12, 1977 – January 20, 1981
President Jimmy Carter
Preceded by Francine Irving Neff
Succeeded by Angela Marie Buchanan
Personal details
Born (1936-02-01)February 1, 1936
Dale, Texas, U.S.
Died December 7, 2003(2003-12-07) (aged 67)
Bastrop County, Texas, U.S.
Political party Democrat
Spouse(s) James Homer Morton
Signature

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, an honor that she shared with four African-American men.[1]

Early life

Morton was born in Dale, Texas, and she graduated from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin. Her first job was teaching at a school for delinquent girls.

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.[2] She was also an election observer for the presidential elections in Haiti, Senegal, and the Dominican Republic; a member of the American Delegation to Rome, Italy for the Enthronement of Pope John Paul II; chair of a People to People Mission to the Soviet Union and China; and a representative to the first African/African American Conference held in Africa. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Personal life

Azie Taylor married James Homer Morton on May 29, 1965. They had two daughters.

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.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "African Americans on Currency". Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  2. ↑ "Women in Government: A Slim Past, But a Strong Future". Ebony: 89–92, 96–98. August 1977.
  3. ↑ Audrey McGlinchy, April 25, 2018, Austin City Council Votes to Rename Two Streets Named for Confederate Figures. Accessed 2018-09-10.
Political offices
Preceded by
Francine Irving Neff		 Treasurer of the United States
1977—1981		 Succeeded by
Angela Marie Buchanan
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