James Douglas Morrison, one of America's most controversial educators
died in his home today, at the age of 66. Morrison began his teaching
career at the University of California at Berkeley in 1973 as a
professor of classic literature. His career in education spanned 27
years and his unique approach to presenting classes in literature,
theatre and psychology proved so popular with students around the world
that Morrison eventually taught in France, Ireland, Tibet, Vietnam, as
well the United States.
Morrison's career in education and his private life were marked by
controversy. In 1975, while teaching theatre classes at Berkeley, he
wrote and produced his play, "Abortion Stories" at the University's
200-seat McClure Auditorium. The content of the play proved so
contentious that death threats were directed at Morrison and members of
the university's administration. There were only twelve performances of
the play at the tiny auditorium before a fire destroyed the building,
resulting in the deaths of three people on December 31, 1975. The
investigation to determine the cause of the fire, resulted in the arrest
and conviction of David Marsh, the founder and sole member of an
anti-abortion organization,
"Vigilante Death for Baby Killers". During the trial, it was determined
that Marsh had been responsible for threats to Morrison's life since
1968. At that time, Morrison was the lead singer of a Los Angeles band,
"The Doors". Marsh, who claimed to be a fan of the band, became upset
after Morrison left the group in 1968 to devote his time to writing and
acting. Few of Morrison's faculty colleagues were familiar with his
brief career in music. The trial testimony served to generate renewed
sales of the groups' only two albums with Morrison as a member. Music
critics at the time hailed the albums, THE DOORS and STRANGE DAYS as
innovative and unique classics. In 2001, THE DOORS album was chosen as
"The Debut Album of the Century" by the board of The Rock 'n' Roll Hall
of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Festivities at the event were marred by the
destruction of The Doors' exhibit by Daniel Sullivan, who fired shots
into the wax figure of Morrison. Sullivan later confessed to robbing
Morrison's home in 1972 and of assaulting Morrison's first wife, Pamela
Courson, whom Morrison divorced in 1971. After police recovered items
stolen by Sullivan and attempted to return them to Morrison, he refused
to accept them claiming, "Rock is dead. As dead as that wax dummy..."
