While this might alarm or annoy some people, this thoughtful, quiet man takes it all in stride. As assistant vice president and Union's first and only director of financial aid, Morris’ role has been a challenging one – he has had the tough and sometimes dubious task of assisting students through a maze of red tape called financial aid.

“It’s a big job,” says Morris. “You get to meet a lot of students and parents, you deal with institutional budgets, federal budgets, reports – but there’s a lot of satisfaction that you get knowing you’re helping people.”

And helping people has been something that Morris has done best, according to Bobbie Bishop, a financial aid officer and loan coordinator at Union who has worked with Morris for more than 10 years.

“He has shown enormous sympathy and concern for students whose parents aren’t able to contribute to their child’s education,” says Bishop. “I’ve witnessed many students in this situation and have seen Mr. Morris go the second mile for them. Many students have been able to attend Union simply because of the genuine heart-felt concern he has for young people.”

Most might be surprised to know that Morris started out as a Union graduate with a music degree. After graduating from the university in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in music, the clarinet player did a short stint as a high school band director for Chester County High School.

“When I was approached for the job, I was told it was a 45-instrument band,” chuckles Morris, as he remembers his first teaching experience. “The first day, though, only 10 people showed up for practice – they were the band!” By the time Morris left four years later, however, the band was marching 75 strong.

After marrying and starting a family, Morris eventually returned to Union in 1969 as an admissions counselor. It wasn’t long, though, until he was asked to attend a government training workshop for financial aid. By 1973, he was handling Union’s first formal financial aid program full-time.

“At that point in time, we had only a few institutional academic scholarships to give,” recalls Morris. That full year, Morris administered $400,000 to Union students, a small piece of change compared to the $12.9 million that will be awarded this year alone.

“Don’s steady and faithful service over three decades has been a tremendous blessing to this university,” says Charles Fowler, vice president for enrollment management. “As a Union alumnus himself, I can’t help but think that the consistent servant leadership he has demonstrated for our students over the years is just one more example of how Union helped prepare a young person for a professional life marked by faith, character, and skillfulness.”

Music and helping students are not Morris’s only passions. Most who know him also know of his love for golf – a self-administered therapy session after a long day at the office, in addition to another chance for building relationships with students.

A member of Union’s golf team when he was a student, Morris served as head coach for the team from 1972 to 1998. He has vivid memories of the students he coached, with pictures and awards decorating the walls of his office. He speaks fondly and often of the students he has made special bonds with.

“We had some great players throughout the years,” says Morris, adding that he still sees many of the students he coached.

“Don Morris, “Coach,” as he’s known to me, is a great godly man who is very involved in his church as well as a wonderful son, husband, father and grandfather,” says Micky Wolfe, a Union graduate and one of the many golfers coached by Morris. “Coach used the golf course as a chance to coach life. Most of his players came to Union as kids and through him left as men.”

“Don has loved the relationships he’s built with members of the golf team over the years,” adds Morris’ wife, Pat. “His greatest source of satisfaction were those moments when some of his golfers would come and ask him to pray with them about a problem or for direction.”

Retiring at the end of this academic year, Morris feels a certain satisfaction in the work he has done while at Union, though he is quick to point out that it has been a combination of many people who have helped students pay their way through school. He is looking forward to playing “a lot of golf,” spending time with his 5 grandchildren and continuing to work with the golf team as an assistant coach.

“If I had it all to do over again, I’d do exactly the same thing.”