The year and place of Ralph Morrison's birth, his parentage and names of his siblings have not been identified.

Ralph came to Santa Cruz High School in the fall of 1924 and served as head coach of the football, track and basketball teams until 1930. While living in the community, he was an active member of the Kiwanis Club.

About 1928 Morrison became interested in aviation and spent the summer in San Diego learning to fly. When he returned to Santa Cruz, he frequently took passengers and students with him on his flights out of the old Capitola airport. Later he obtained a transport license and was one of several pilots hired by William Randolph Hearst to fly guests to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Hearst's San Simeon ranch.

In 1942 Ralph entered the Army Air Corps and trained at Santa Ana, California. He was commissioned a lieutenant and stationed at Helena, Montana, before being assigned to a bomber squadron at McDill Field, Florida.

When C. E. "Doc" Fehliman, Santa Cruz High School teacher and historian, attempted to write to Morrison in early 1943, the letters were returned with the notation "this man is deceased." US Air Force Accident Report records indicate that Ralph E. Morrison was flying an AT-11 aircraft out of Victorville AAF base, California, when it crashed on August 3, 1942.

It is believed that Morrison's remains were not recovered.

(SCSn March 2, 1943 1:2; AAIR; Photo-SCHS)