William G. Morgan the basketball bladder was too light. After testing all of the balls he had available, he had come to the conclusion that his best option was to ask A.G. Spalding & Bros. to make him a ball. A young A.G. Spalding & Bros. equipment designer and master marine cloth tailor, Dale Callaghan, developed and produced the first prototype volleyball. Morgan was very pleased with Spalding & Bros. work. They created Morgan the perfect ball for his sport, which was covered in leather, with the circumference of 25–27 inches. The ball was also the perfect weight for Morgan's sport. The ball
William Yoast Morgan the state legislature. Morgan's mother Wilhelmina (Yoast) Morgan (1843-1910) was active in civic organizations and politics, serving as mayor of Cottonwood Falls in 1885. Morgan himself was educated in Cottonwood Falls and then at the state university in Lawrence, majoring in journalism. Morgan married Colie Adair (1872-1958) in November 1890; they had one daughter, Claudia (d. 1958) After working at the "Lawrence Journal" for two years, Morgan purchased and edited the "Republican" in Strong City. He sold that paper after four years and purchased the "Emporia Daily Gazette"; he operated that until selling it to William Allen White in 1895.