KEARNEY — If Scott Morris had his choice, he would donate his time and money to as many projects as possible without anybody knowing he was involved.

“I love helping. I’m not real fond of being recognized for it,” admitted the president of Morris Printing Group. “Am I a public person? I guess, at least in the past, you could say no. At least when it comes to having my name attached to a project.”

For years, Morris has been one of Kearney’s silent volunteers. Whether it is his support of the Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney Family YMCA or Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, Morris preferred to stay in the shadows of others involved.

“I’ve always known the importance of giving back to the community, and I’ve tried to practice that as much as possible,” said Morris. “However, I was never real comfortable having my support be made public.”

The Hub’s 2006 Freedom Award winner in the Business category, Morris has warmed to the idea of being recognized for his volunteer efforts and donations to Kearney-area projects.

“I credit my wife, Cheryl, for that,” he said. “She comes from a very giving family and has taught me the importance of donating money, and time, to worthwhile causes. She has been my driving force and really does a lot more work than me.”

The University of Nebraska at Kearney named its International Food Festival after Scott and Cheryl Morris after they stepped in and donated money when the event needed it most. They also donate food, supplies and 1,000 cookbooks each year.

“UNK needed money to keep the event going, and I thought it was very worthwhile because it brings together so many different people,” Morris said. “It’s something positive, and I saw what I thought was a lot of potential in terms of growing it into something very big.

“It has evolved just as I imagined, and it’s a good feeling to look back and know I played a small part.”

Kearney lawyer Thomas Tye II nominated Morris for the Freedom Award.

“Scott has been very generous to the community. Sometimes his generosity has been very anonymous, and at other times it has been more public,” said Tye II. “He has always cared deeply for Kearney and has always tried to be a good corporate citizen.

“There are many times a volunteer group will ask for help in putting together a flier or brochure for a worthy project, and (Scott) has always been there to help.”

Morris said one of his “greatest contributions” to the community came in 2005 when he donated $1 million to help build the new Kearney Area Humane Society facility in west Kearney. He also played a major role in the design and construction of the project.

“I’ve always cared about animals, so that was an obvious project for me to get involved with,” he said. “To be honest, the initial funding push to build the facility failed.

“I did not want to see that project fall through, so I decided to do everything I could to make it happen,” Morris added. “It’s one project I really became involved with and hold very close to my heart.”

Morris is the third generation of his family to run Morris Printing. His grandfather, Fred Carlson, opened a small print shop called Hub Printing Co. in 1933. Scott’s dad, Harold Morris, took over the business in 1956 and operated it for many years at 2305 Central Ave., where the company still has a downtown storefront.

Scott Morris joined the company at age 21 and became president in 1976, when the company had just eight employees. He grew the company to more than 500 employees and built its existing headquarters in 1989.

“I started working here for my dad at age 15, running small presses and setting type,” Morris said. “I tried college and thought I would become a teacher, but I guess I always knew this is what I would end up doing.”

Tye called Morris one of Kearney’s finest entrepreneurs. “Most, if not all, of the growth and expanse of the company is due to Scott’s focus, hard work, creativity and tremendous business savvy,” Tye said. “… Scott is a shining example of a local Kearney boy who through his perseverance, creativity and cunning business instincts has created a wonderful company that has helped in the overall development of Kearney.”

Morris said he feels fortunate to have enough business success over the years to be able to give back to the community.

“Not everybody is in that position, and I’ve always felt that those who can give back should,” he said. “I love this area, especially the friendliness and work ethic of everybody who lives here.

“I’ve always felt fortunate that I was raised here, and I’ve always felt fortunate to be able to contribute to organizations and projects that make the community better.”

e-mail to:
todd.gottula@kearneyhub.com