Affectionately known as “Jimmy”, Major James Morgan, Jr. was the oldest of four children. He was educated at Bond Elementary School and Florida A&M University High School. Always striving to enhance his level of knowledge, James furthered his education at FAMU. Subsequently, James went on to serve his country in the U.S. Army. After completing his service, he met and fell in love with Joann Morgan. They were joined in holy matrimony and the Lord blessed their union with four beautiful children: James III, Keith, Brenda and Alta Mead. The couple shared 61 years of marital bliss together. As God would ordain it, on January 1, 1967, James became the third Black Deputy, hired by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Even though he was a sworn law enforcement officer, at that time in a segregated Leon County, he could only patrol and/or make arrests in black neighborhoods. He was determined to make a difference because he knew how important his service was to the entire community. James courageously took on the task of being a trailblazer and became “the first black” in several positions in the Sheriff’s Office as he rose through the ranks: Detective; Lieutenant; Road Shift Commander; Captain; Major; and Jail Administrator. He also attended the FBI Academy and received numerous awards over the years. He spent nearly 50 years with both the Leon and Gadsden County Sheriff’s Offices.