Leonard Morris

Profile photo of Leonard L. Morris

In Memoriam
Professor Emeritus of Vegetable Crops
1914-2003

LEONARD L. MORRIS

Birth: August 5, 1914, Terre Haute, Indiana
Death: January 23, 2003, Davis, California

Education

  • B.S., Horticulture, Purdue University, 1937
  • M.S., Vegetable Crops, Cornell University, 1939
  • Ph.D., Vegetable Crops, Cornell University, 1941

Employment

  • Faculty, Division of Truck Crops (later Department of Vegetable Crops), University of California, Davis, 1941–1982
  • Professor, Department of Vegetable Crops, UC Davis, 1959–1982
  • Professor Emeritus, Department of Vegetable Crops, UC Davis, 1982–2003

Honors, Awards, and Professional Societies

  • C.W. Hauck Award, Produce Packaging Association, 1956
  • L.H. Vaughan Award, 1958
  • Asgrow Award, 1978
  • National Food Processors Award, 1980
  • Rockefeller Foundation Visiting Professorship, University of Khartoum, Sudan
  • Gold Medal, Ministry of Agriculture, People’s Republic of China, 1993
  • Fellow, American Society for Horticultural Science
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Research Contributions and Impact

Leonard Morris was a leading figure in American and international postharvest physiology. He specialized in the postharvest handling of lettuce and tomatoes, controlled atmosphere storage, and chilling injury. His discovery of the Never-ripe (Nr) tomato mutant provided a valuable tool for genetic and physiological studies. The vegetable industry widely adopted his research recommendations on the chilling of tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Morris’s efforts led to NSF support for the construction of the Louis K. Mann Laboratory at UC Davis, which became a world-renowned unit for postharvest vegetable physiology. His consultancies in Africa, South America, and Asia, particularly China, extended the global influence of his work.

Publications and Scholarly Leadership

Morris authored numerous research papers on postharvest physiology, chilling injury, and atmospheric modification of vegetables. His findings helped shape modern approaches to the storage and handling of fresh produce.

Teaching and Mentorship

Over his 41-year career, Morris trained graduate students who went on to academic positions worldwide. His thorough and practical approach to teaching inspired generations of horticultural scientists.

Collaboration and Community

An active member of the American Society for Horticultural Science since 1938, Morris served as secretary-treasurer and chair of its Western Region. He advised government agencies, railroads, and industry groups, including the Western Growers Association and the U.S. Army’s National Research Council Committee on Fruit and Vegetable Products.

Legacy

Leonard Morris is remembered as an authority in postharvest vegetable physiology whose work reshaped produce storage and handling practices. His research, teaching, and international collaborations advanced both science and industry, and his legacy continues through the Mann Laboratory and the many scientists he mentored.

References

For additional tributes, interviews, and biographies, see the following resources: