Thad Morgan remembered: ‘Tales of unorthodox, successful school administrator’

ENTERPRISE—Memories of Enterprise City Schools Superintendent the late Thad Morgan collected from more than 100 people fill the 350 pages of the newest book by Enterprise native and longtime educator Dr. Jim Reese.

“Recollections of Thad Morgan: The Man Who Could Make God Cuss..and Laugh,” was a labor of love, said Reese, who began the project at the request of Morgan’s wife, Janice, following the death March 12, 2023, of the Enterprise native who had served in the City of Progress as a school teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent of schools for nearly four decades.

“I laughed, smiled, and cried just reminiscing as I was reading these memories,” said Reese. “It was a labor of love putting it together. There will never be another Thad.”

Morgan started his career in Marietta, Georgia, Villa Rica, Georgia, and Warner Robbins, Georgia, before returning to the Wiregrass. He started teaching and coaching at Coffee Springs High School in 1964; teaching/coaching at Enterprise Jr. High in 1967; transferred to EHS in 1970 as a teacher/coach; served as assistant principal/coach in 1971-72 and assistant principal from 1972 until 74; served as principal of EHS from 1974 until 1979 and superintendent of education from 1979 until 2001.

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Morgan came out of retirement after the March 1, 2007, tornado tore through Enterprise striking the high school where students sheltered in hallways as the tornado struck. The tornado ripped the roof off parts of the school, destroyed a hallway, the gym, and the stadium. Eight EHS students were killed. “He dedicated his energy to help us recover from that traumatic event,” said Reese, who was superintendent during the rebuild.

“So many of us considered him like a second father,” said Reese. “He had a personality unlike anybody’s you’d ever want to meet. He didn’t mince words. He was old-school.

“I’m sure there were people who disliked him but most people adored him because he cared about people and there are very few people who would have cared about the school system as much as Thad Morgan.”

Included in the 350-pages are memories from former students, school board members, school employees, former football players and coaches. The title of the book is from a poem written by longtime educator Mary Cannon for Morgan on Bosses Day in 1996. It was read by one of Morgan’s former football players Kevin Maddox at Morgan’s funeral held at the EHS Performing Arts Center March 15 last year.

Reese invites the public to a book signing at the Enterprise High School Media Center Jan. 20 from 9 a.m. until noon, and suspects that it will turn into an impromptu reunion, of sorts, where more memories, laughter, and tears get swapped. “I sincerely appreciate everyone who contributed their recollections,” said Reese. “I am well aware that there are many people who will ask me why I didn’t ask them to share their stories. I apologize and will blame it on my feeble mind.

“Enterprise lost a true legend,” he said about the man who died three days short of turning 85. “Our school system and community will never know the number of people he helped—not even some of the people he helped will know.”

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