A Memory of Jim Morgan



Jim was not a man to be summed up in a handful of words. 

Without making reference to the important original work he accomplished in his long, justly rewarded career, something I’m not equipped to do, I can bear witness in a small way to his extraordinary mind. It had a touch of the dervish, of madness, of brightness. We live in a time when  the particular matters and generalizations are rightly held to be hateful. So, to generalize: Those who are Irish and a surprising number too of their descendants in America, are different from the rest of us. Like these, Jim treated the uniqueness of his existence as a tragic-funny anecdote, something light to carry, something to show, share and laugh at. To say he loved his life would be to say too little: life loved him.

Christopher (Kit) Davis

January, 2024

In the mid-1980s I helped Jim write a chapter on kinetics for a Stumm-edited book that began with a quote from the Police: "Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you."  As the younger of the authors, most everyone thought I was behind the quote.  But it was Jim's idea.  He was the one who was passionate about the latest music and poetry.  His curiosity about everything going on around him helped him observe, then get to the very heart of the matter.  With exceptional humor too.
Later in the 1980s, Ken Nealson invited the two of us to give lectures at a Lake Oneida summer field camp.  We were to stay in a farm house that was a considerable distance from the make-shift labs and lecture room, and were given a tandem bike for the commute.  Can you imagine what's it's like to ride a tandem bike with Jim?
I was fortunate for over two decades to work with a close college friend of Jim's at Hopkins, Charlie O'Melia.  During his visits, Jim was always open to hearing whatever was on my mind, always there to offer thoughtful advice and clarity.  (And good books and music too.)  I miss him enormously.