Morris Overstreet was the first African-American elected to a statewide office in the history of the State of Texas.
15 Facts About Morris Overstreet
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Morris Overstreet was twice elected to serve on the state's highest criminal appellate court, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, from 1990 to 1998.
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Morris Overstreet earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with minors in Biology and Chemistry from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.
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Morris Overstreet earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Texas Southern University School of Law in Houston, Texas in 1975.
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Morris Overstreet presided over the Potter County Court at Law Number 1 in Amarillo for four years.
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Morris Overstreet was a life member of the National Bar Association and was a member of the American Bar Association, and served as a former chair of the Judicial Council Division.
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Morris Overstreet was the president of the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association.
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In September 2002, Morris Overstreet returned to Texas Southern University, where he served as the director of the Legal Clinic and professor of evidence and criminal procedure for four years.
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In private practice, Morris Overstreet served as general counsel to the Texas State Baptist Convention and chair of its statewide Bible Drill Competition.
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Morris Overstreet served as the national legal counsel for Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and was a former chair of the State Bar Crime Victims Committee.
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Morris Overstreet was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, and attended Windsor Village United Methodist Church.
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Morris Overstreet was a life member of both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
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Morris Overstreet was a member of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.
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Morris Overstreet was a frequent lecturer and public speaker and had taught continuing legal educational classes statewide for justices of the peace, Constitutional county judges, municipal court judges, local bar associations, the State Bar of Texas Advance Criminal Law Seminar, and the National Bar Association.
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Morris Overstreet died of prostate cancer on March 3,2024, at the age of 73.