Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation

Wayne Morse Legacy Scholarship

The Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation established the Wayne Morse Legacy Scholarship in 2011 to recognize Oregon students who seek access to higher education and may be inspired by the Senator’s legacies of public service, integrity, and commitment to principle and independence. The outstanding recipients have attended Portland State, Oregon State, the University of Oregon, Western Oregon University, Lane and Portland Community Colleges, OHSU/Oregon Health Sciences University, and Pacific University. Check our Scholarship Page for more information.

HISTORY AND POLITICS COME ALIVE AT WAYNE MORSE FAMILY FARM PARK!

You can enjoy the 27 acre Wayne Morse Family Farm, which is a City of Eugene Park. The trails and the off leash dog area are open. The picnic shelter is available for rental events, in addition to a few limited teen and fitness classes approved by City Recreational Services. During summer months, the City’s Wayne Morse Summer Day Camp is held on site.

When you come to the Morse Farm, you can walk the trails which Wayne Morse and his family enjoyed. Bring your dog to exercise in the fenced Off Leash Dog Area in the lower east pasture where Morse trained champion horses in an oval riding ring. Or find a quiet place to enjoy a book as the Morse daughters often did.

The white framed sign on the fence near the sidewalk to the family home presents a brief history about Morse, his family and Farm. Continue checking here through our website for additional background about Senator Morse, his Farm, and the Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation.

Information about the Park including rentals of the picnic shelter and the house is available on our Park page.

Statue of Wayne Morse in Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in Downtown Eugene

Morse Around Town

The Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza was envisioned by the Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation (WMHPC) and first approved by the Lane County Board of Supervisors in 1984 to “better enable Lane County Citizens to exercise the precious rights of free speech and assembly.”

At the first celebration of the site – marked then only by a commemorative plaque near the courthouse entrance — in 1984, a former Senate colleague, William Proxmire of Wisconsin, offered that “To speak out fiercely when we know that what we say is not popular. . . That is Wayne Morse’s legacy of freedom.” His remarks were followed by those of an 87-year-old World War I draft resister, the first among thousands who have come to the spot to express their views.

Throughout Eugene, there are more places to discover Morse — and Eugene — history. Take one of the tours below, or visit the Mims House and the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House across town near Skinner Butte.

  • On the Trail of the Tiger, travels around Eugene and the University of Oregon, offering opportunities to learn about a remarkable Oregonian and reflect on his legacies. Download our tour brochure PDF (2 legal size 8.5×14 pages). Information about the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in downtown Eugene is available by clicking here.
  • A ramble around the Crest Drive neighborhood with some nearby historic homes. See PDF: Welcome to Wayne Morse Family Farm and Historic Homes of the Crest Drive Neighborhood . Please note all homes are private and not open to the public.
  • The Mims House, in the East Skinner Butte area, served as a safe house for African American travelers from 1948 to 1966 when there was race separation in Eugene. It now serves as the headquarters of the Eugene-Springfield National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2017, Wayne Morse’s long service for the NAACP and his commitment to civil rights were recognized at the Mims House with a photo plaque commemorating his 1947 speech to the NAACP at the Lincoln Memorial. Call for information about visiting, (541) 484-1119.
  • Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, in the south Skinner Butte area and our sister historic house museum, is considered an unofficial city history museum, with tours, exhibits and virtual programs available. Plan a visit at https://smjhouse.org.

Learn more:

Our biography about Wayne Morse explores his role in Oregon and our nation’s history. Click on PDF link (22 pages). Morse is celebrated for his legacies of independent judgment and integrity throughout his public service as a renowned federal labor arbitrator and four-term United States Senator from Oregon. He led the University of Oregon’s School of Law for 14 years.

Our National Register page offers historical details about Edgewood Farm, where Morse and his family lived from 1936 to 1974.