Philip Morris

Philip A. Morris had a 31-year editorial career with Birmingham, Alabama-based Southern Living magazine focused primarily on design. After joining the then-new regional publication in 1969 he was instrumental in shaping its editorial thrust, including initiating coverage of landscape architecture in the early 1970's. He served as executive editor from 1976-91 and editor-at-large for Southern Living, Southern Accents, and Coastal Living from 1991 until retirement in 2000.

In addition to writing about residential design, Morris regularly brought larger design issues to the attention of the magazine's wide audience. Among the major features he authored: "The Southern Seacoast—Keeping Its Balance" (1973); "The Great Neighborhood Revival" (1976); "Building With, Not Against, The Land" (1978; and "The Revival of Town Planning" (1994). He was named Hon. ASLA (1981) and Hon. AIA (1990) in recognition of his work with Southern Living.

Morris received a BA in English from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri, and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design (1983-84). He is a past board member of the American Architectural Foundation and received the Alabama Humanities Award (1994). Since his retirement he has continued volunteer efforts in Birmingham focused on civic design. He was co-chair of the planning committee for the restoration of Vulcan Park and also served on planning committees for Linn Park, Railroad Park, and Red Mountain Park.

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