Remembering Jim Morley

We are saddened to announce the passing of James Morley, scholar, author, and transformational leader of the Natick Historical Society (NHS), on September 27.  During Jim’s decade on the NHS board, including five years as president, he led the introduction of professional staff to the organization, the early re-envisioning of the museum space, and a reawakening of community interest in Natick history.

He was a tenacious researcher with a remarkable depth of knowledge of Natick's history. A compelling storyteller, he made history accessible, weaving together the threads of Natick’s story for countless audiences.

He was the author of three books on Natick's history, including From Many Backgrounds (2007), Hometown Natick, 1945-2000 (2011), and the comprehensive Natick 1651-2000: The Many Lives of a Storied New England Town (2019).

Jim Morley moved to Natick with his wife, Barbara, in 1999 after retiring from Columbia University, though it was in many ways a homecoming. In his genealogical research, he traced his ancestry to James Draper. Draper, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1636, was a member of John Eliot’s church in Roxbury, and his descendants once owned Draper Farm on the west side of Pegan Hill.

Our thoughts are with his family.