Udall, Morris King (1922–98)

Born in st. johns, arizona, on June 15, 1922, Morris K. Udall would go on to be one of the foremost political leaders in environmental protection over a long and illustrious career. At an early age, he showed great leadership potential; he was not only the student body president of his high school, but also the school's valedictorian and basketball team co-captain. Udall graduated high school in 1940 and attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where he studied law. He left college two years later to serve in World War II from 1942 to 1945 in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he was honorably discharged as a captain. After graduating college in 1949, he played professional basketball for the Denver Nuggets and ...