This tribute originally appeared in the FALL 2015 issue of The District.

The Morris School District and the Morris Educational Foundation dedicate this issue of The District to Stephen B. Wiley, the “father” of the Morris School District and founder of the Morris Educational Foundation. 

Mr. Wiley envisioned a school district in which children of all races, religions, and economic backgrounds would learn with and from each other. With that vision in mind, in 1971 he successfully argued the historic legal case that would forge the Morris School District. He then spent the next four decades of his life working to ensure that the community he so dearly loved would be rich with worthwhile opportunities and a proud sense of its remarkable place in American history.

“Wherever you see something wonderful in our community, you can be sure Steve Wiley had a hand in it,” said Kim Pistner, Chair of the Morris Educational Foundation. Board of Education President Leonard Posey agreed, adding, “Thanks to Mr. Wiley, tens of thousands of children in our community have been given the gift of a diverse and culturally-rich education. We are forever indebted to him for that gift and grateful for his vision.”

We can think of no better tribute to Mr. Wiley than to share and celebrate the stories of opportunity and achievement contained within these pages. These stories, and those that will follow in the years ahead, are among the legacies of this remarkable man and his lifelong commitment to our schools and community.