Community leader, Pacers exec Jim Morris has died – Inside INdiana Business

James Morris, vice chair of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, who has been one of central Indiana’s most influential leaders for more than six decades, died on Friday night. He was 81.

Pacers officials announced the news Saturday morning.

Morris helped usher in Unigov during his six years as chief of staff for then-Mayor Richard Lugar and helped create IUPUI, which formally split into two universities—Indiana University-Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis—earlier this year.

He also helped develop Market Square Arena and establish the Indiana Sports Corp. and served as president of Lilly Endowment Inc., where he earmarked $25 million to help build the Hoosier Dome.

From 1989-2002, Morris was chair and CEO of Indianapolis Water Co./IWC Resources.

From 2002-2005, he served as executive director of the World Food Programme.

He returned to Indianapolis to join the Indiana Pacers as president before moving into the role of vice chair of PS&E in 2014. Last year, he retired from the Indiana University board, where he served on and off for several decades, twice as chair.

The Pacers issued the follow statement on Saturday morning:

“There are no words that would do justice to how consequential Jim’s life truly was. To his very last day, he was hard at work bringing people together to help those most in need and make our city and our state stronger, more civil, and more united. No one loved Indiana and Indianapolis more than Jim. To us, though, Jim was family, a lifelong friend, a mentor, and the ultimate fan. He was a constant presence in Gainbridge Fieldhouse and an endless source of optimism on the future of his beloved Pacers, Fever, and Indiana University. Jim will be sorely missed by all of us, and we will keep him and his family in our prayers now and always.”

This story will be updated.

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