Fletcher Morgan and his wife AgnesFrom Milk Wagon to the Senate – words coined by the 1937 General Assembly – reflected the life of Fletcher Morgan who rose from humble dairy farmer to political powerhouse in the early 20th century. Five decades have passed since his voice echoed through the streets of Chattanooga, yet his impact is still felt.
Born in Red Bank on Aug. 15, 1890, he was one of nine children of Rufus and Laura Morgan. He married Agnes Lawson in 1912. At the time of Morgan’s death at age 74, the couple had 10 living children, 36 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Fletcher Morgan’s life and career were influenced by the poetry of Alfred Lloyd Tennyson. This quote reflected his determination: “to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.”
He completed only three years of elementary school, yet he passed an entrance test to gain admittance to City High School and rose each morning at 3:00 a.m. to work a milk route for Cloverleaf Dairy.
In 1912, he bought his first dairy herd and leased pasturage called Hill Glenn Dairy, now Shepherd Hills. During World War I, he helped to organize Ashland Farm Dairy, the dairy supplier for Erlanger Hospital and military units at Fort Oglethorpe.