James (Jim) F. Morgan
Founding Chairman of the High Point Community Foundation

James (Jim) F. Morgan was the Founding Chairman of the High Point Community Foundation who served in the position from 1990 when the Foundation was first established until 2003. He is credited with not only initiating the paperwork to legally established the Foundation, he is also responsible for promoting the original idea, along with Jim Millis, Sr., championing and sustaining the endeavor from 1990 to 1998 when the Foundations office officially opened its doors for business.

In the early years Jim spent a tremendous amount of time, energy and resources in building the Foundation infrastructure from the ground up. During his tenure assets rose from $350,000.00 to over $10,000,000.00. He also oversaw the establishment of the original Board of Trustees, the Executive Board, Grants Committee, Investment Committee, and the Personnel Committee. Jim's vision for a financial resource that would "meet the unmet needs of the community" was achieved over a period of 13 years of hard work, persistence, and a commitment to make High Point a better place for all of us to live.

Jim was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina where he graduated from High Point Central High School with a reputation as a strong football player and a young man with tremendous leadership potential. Jim attended Guilford College where he earned a BA in History and later graduated from Stamford Law School in Alabama.

Jim served three terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives representing Guilford County from 1977 to 1982. During his tenure, he was named as Legislator of the Year by the North Carolina Nurses Association, the NC Trial Lawyers, the NC Wildlife Federation, and the Good Government Committee. Jim was also ranked as one of the top four influential legislators in the NC House of Representatives.

Jim is the Managing Partner and Attorney at Law in the firm Morgan, Herring, Morgan, Green, Rosenblutt, Gill, L.L.P. He has served as the past President of the High Point and Guilford County Bar Association, and he is well-known for his generousity in providing legal aid to the indigent in the community. Jim has been the Chairman or President of over 50 organizations. At the State level these organizations include; The North Carolina Jaycees, the Metropolitan Chambers of Commerce, the NC Council of Bar Presidents, and the United Way of North Carolina. On the local level Jim has served organizations that include; Guilford Technical Community College, Hospice of the Piedmont, Alcohol and Drug Services, The Triad Chamber of Commerce. He has also influenced the business community by serving as Chairman of the High Point Chamber of Commerce, the High Point Economic Development Corporation, the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the High Point Partners.

Jim has been recognized as the High Point Enterprise "Citizen of the Year," the High Point Chamber of Commerce's "Distinguished Citizen," the "Small Business Advocate of the Year," the "Algernon Sydney Sullivan Humanitarian Award" from Guilford College, the "Beverly Lake Public Service Award" from the North Carolina Bar, the "Humanitarian of the Year" by the High Point Human Relations Commission, and he has twice been awarded the "The Order of the Long Leaf Pine" by Governor Holhouser and Governor Hunt.

"Jim is a truly remarkable man who has vision, energy, and the leadership abilities to have made this vision of a Community Foundation in High Point a reality," notes Paul Lessard, President. "Some of the most difficult work in establishing any important endeavor always takes place in the early years and it was Jim Morgan who kept the Foundations flame alive during the early and mid-90s. I am certain that one of Jim's many lifetime legacies will be the incredible positive impact that this Foundation will have upon our community for generations to come."

Jim is married to Ann Tinsley Morgan and they have two children, Jef Morgan and Lea Morgan Pflaging and five grandchildren.