William G. Morgan William G. Morgan William George Morgan (January 23, 1870 – December 27, 1942) was the inventor of volleyball, originally called "Mintonette", a name derived from the game of badminton which he later agreed to change to better reflect the nature of the sport. He was born in Lockport, New York, US. He met James Naismith, inventor of basketball, while Morgan was studying at Springfield College in 1892. Like Naismith, Morgan pursued a career in Physical Education at the YMCA. Influenced by Naismith and basketball, in 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Morgan invented "Mintonette" a less vigorous team sport more suitable for
William Morgan (abolitionist) who distributed information and invitations to the local Sunday Schools. Morgan was a founder of the local Baptist Union and served as secretary to the Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society when British slavery was made illegal (in 1838). The picture above shows him at the 1840 Anti-Slavery Convention which was organised by Morgan's colleague Joseph Sturge. Morgan served as a secretary at the 1840 convention. He continued to work with Sturge during the 1850s. In 1866, the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society sent Morgan to Jamaica. Morgam had married Henrietta Barnard on 6 March 1841 from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire. William Morgan (abolitionist)