Remembering Lafayette County Public Servant and Businessman Johnny Morgan May 22, 2023

Long-time Oxford businessman and former Mississippi State Senator Johnny Morgan passed away this past Wednesday, May 17. Morgan, who was born in Lafayette County, will be remembered for his lifelong support of his county and its residents.

Morgan was a true public servant. In addition to serving in the Mississippi State Senate for nearly a decade, he advocated for his home county as a member of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors from 2004 to 2011, which included a three-year stint as President of the Board of Supervisors.

“We lost a great pioneer of Oxford,” said Robert Blackmon, who previously served with Morgan on the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors. 

“He and I were friends for many years—pretty much my whole life. He would help anybody, whether you were black or white. This is a great loss.”

Morgan was known for his business success, a driving force for Mississippi businesses such as The Morgan White Group. He was also active in the North MS Industrial Development Association and the Mississippi Board of Economic Development. 

Lafayette County Chancery Clerk Sherry Wall remembers Johnny as a legend. “He knew everyone in the state and D.C. and could make a few phone calls and get things done,” she said. “He never met a stranger and never forgot anyone he met.”

A graduate of the University of Mississippi, Morgan was a generous supporter of education. His company helped to create The Morgan White Group Scholarship in Insurance and Resource Management, aimed at assisting deserving students in the School of Business Administration. 

“He could tell a story or joke like no other person and had a wealth of knowledge about our county, our city and our state,” Wall said. 

“He will be greatly missed by not just Oxford and Lafayette County but by people across the state and the nation’s capital.”