Centennial
Dr. Robert Morrison was not your typical eager-to-excel student. In fact, his one regret about his life is that he wished he studied more. According to him, as a student, he was more interested in girls, tennis, and his social life.
All of this came from the very same man who was the first American to use a newly-invented material for soft contact lenses. He also served as an eye doctor to numerous royal families and “A-List” celebrities.
Before entering to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), Dr. Morrison enlisted in the army during World War II with his two brothers. He ended up serving in various hospitals and camps in the United States. He was disappointed that he was not placed overseas, but was later honorably discharged. During that time, the GI Bill of Rights provided veterans with four years of education, so he pondered what career would best suit him.
The answer came when Dr. Morrison’s brother Vic landed a job at an optometrist’s office. His brother described the work he did at his job and soon enough, Dr. Morrison applied to PCO. At the time, PCO was accepting some WWII veterans without requiring a four year college degree.
It wasn’t until after he graduated that Dr. Morrison decided to push himself in succeeding as much as he could in his new career. By attending more lectures and meetings around the world after graduation, Dr. Morrison was able to build his reputation and knowledge in optometry.
His first royal patient was His Majesty King Baudouin of Belgium. He requested Dr. Morrison to make a house call to his palace in Brussels. A member of the Belgian Ophthalmological Society who heard Dr. Morrison speak at a group meeting made the referral. He flew out to Brussels the next day to perform an eye exam on the King.
Dr. Morrison’s name spread across royal families throughout the world. The next to call on him for an eye exam was Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, requesting that Dr. Morrison see her daughter who was thought to be blind.
A string of royalty followed after, including Prince Rainier of Monaco and his wife, Princess Grace Kelly, along with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Duchess Charlotte of Luxemburg, and the Shah and Iran and his family.
But, it wasn’t just royalty that summoned him. Back home in the States, he became the primary eye doctor of celebrities such as Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman; Barbara Walters; Regis Philbin; and Lloyd Bridges.
Amidst his royal and Hollywood patient care list, he also made time to make a difference in terms of eye care for underserved populations. Dr. Morrison launched Morr-Sight in 1993, a mobile clinic which provided free eyewear to people around the world who were less fortunate. The clinic was mounted on a bus and had an exam area along with a fabrication site where pre-cut lenses were placed into plastic frames.
It was partly this initiative that paved the way for Dr. Morrison to beknighted by Queen Juliana of Holland for the delivery of eye care services to the poor.
While Dr. Morrison had a plethora of famous and royal patients, he wanted to emphasize that no matter who came into his office, he would make sure they received the best care possible.
Dr. Morrison received the PCO’s Alumni Association’s Albert Fitch Memorial Alumnus of the Year in 1980 and a Presidential Medal of Honor in 1995. The Harrisburg native passed at home on Jan. 7, 2015. He was 90 years old.
The Morrisons and Dr. Tom Lewis
