Morris F Goodman

Morris attended High School at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachusetts. He started his college education at Oberlin College, and transferred to Columbia University, where he remained through achieving his Ph.D. in Linguistics in 1961. While writing his dissertation, "A Comparative Study of Creole French" published in the 1962-63 issue of The Modern Language Journal, he was asked to do research on aphasia at UNC in Chapel Hill, which he did. His interest and studies of Creole French continued throughout his life and work. His book, "A Comparative Study of Creole French Dialects," was published in 1964, and he authored several articles on African languages.

Morris spoke many languages, and for years, he and a fellow linguistics professor called each other daily speaking in a different language each day.

From Chapel Hill, Morris went to Israel for a few years and then took a job teaching at UCLA. In 1966 Morris began teaching at Northwestern University, retiring early but continuing to teach a few courses.

In honor of Linguistics Professor Emeritus Morris Goodman, the Program of African Studies at Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences established the Morris Goodman Awards. The awards support graduate students in their second year of study or beyond to study an African language outside of Northwestern University.

In addition to Morris’s dedication to education, he had a strong interest in music, history, and culture. He traveled the world extensively and enjoyed meeting and retaining friends from the many chapters of his experience. He valued and maintained deep connections to family and friends throughout his lifetime.

Morris’s interests in and knowledge of music, ancient to modern history, and geography, gleaned from years of study, reading, and travel, were deep and broad. A board member in the creation of The Dictionary of Regional American English (DARE), based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Morris actively supported many cultural and educational institutions in the Chicago area and New York. He established a family philanthropic fund which will continue.

Morris is survived by his nieces and nephews, Stanley David Goodman, Wm. Michael Goodman, Joyce Elsa Goodman, Linda Anne Goodman, Debbie Lee Goodman, and Jenny Louise Goodman, their partners, children and grandchildren, all of whom he held close in his heart. A modest, kind, and compassionate man, he will be sadly missed by family and friends alike.

Funeral service Thursday, Feb. 20, 10AM at Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home, 111 Skokie Blvd, Wilmette, IL 60091. Service will be livestreamed. Following the service, Morris will be cremated and sent for burial with his family in New York. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to J Street Education Fund (www.jstreet.org) or American Friends of Hebrew University (www.afhu.org) in support of "rebuilding trust in a shared society." For info: 847-256-5700