Our Chapter

Chapter History

The Oliver Morton Chapter, NSDAR, was organized by Mrs. Addie Kate Morton Johnson in her home in Gray, Jones County, Georgia, on February 22, 1922. The chapter was named after Oliver Morton, the revolutionary ancestor of Mrs. Johnson, and several other charter members of the chapter. Mrs. Addie Kate Johnson became the first Regent. There were 12 charter members. The organizing Regent left a “Morton Johnson Scholarship Fund” and asked the chapter to name the recipients of this fund each year.

Our Founder

Addie Kate Morton was born on March 3, 1873.  She was the daughter of Edmund T. and Adeline Moore Morton.  Her paternal grandparents were Oliver H. and Catherine Harris Morton.

Addie Kate eventually married Judge F. Holmes Johnson, and they resided in a charming house in the heart of Gray. That home still stands on Highway 22, just north of the railroad tracks.  Addie Kate and Judge Johnson had one child, Richard Morton Johnson.  While in his young teens, Richard was killed in a tragic train accident.

A niece of Mrs. Johnson and an Oliver Morton Chapter, NSDAR member remembers visiting the Johnson home as a child. There, she enjoyed the beloved black-and-white terrier, Peter Pan, and a colorful parrot who resided in a cage in the living room during chilly weather. The backyard was home to a flock of pigeons. She remembers Mrs. Johnson was a true Southern lady who hosted high school proms in her spacious yard.

Upon her death in 1953, Mrs. Johnson directed that a portion of her estate be used to establish a scholarship in memory of her son.  It was called the Morton Johnson Scholarship Fund and was to be used for the higher education of deserving boys and girls of Jones County.  In the beginning, only one scholarship was awarded each year.  Those first scholarships were considerably less than the $1000 awarded to recipients today.  For the 2020-2021 school year, nine $1000 scholarships were given to deserving students.

Addie Kate Morton Johnson’s generosity in setting up the Morton Johnson Scholarship Fund has touched the lives of many students and promises to help many more in the future.

If you would like to attend a meeting, please contact our chapter for additional information.