Dees, Morris Seligman, Jr (1936– )

US lawyer and activist. He became chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama and was an active fundraiser for the Democratic Party. His autobiography, A Season for Justice (1991), was made into a television special.

He was born in Shorter, Alabama and, in 1960, while at the University of Alabama, he founded Fuller & Dees Marketing Group, a nationwide speciality direct-market-sales publishing house. One of the largest publishing houses in the South, and a pioneer in sex education books for children, it was sold to the Times Mirror Corporation (1969). He became a partner in the firm of Levin & Dees. The centre would become involved in wide-ranging lawsuits, including the battle to integrate the Alabama State Troopers. As a Democratic fundraiser, he was national director for the ‘McGovern for President’ campaign (1972), national finance chairman for the ‘Carter for President’ campaign (1976), and national finance chairman for the ‘Kennedy for President’ campaign (1980). He originated the idea of a Civil Rights Memorial that was dedicated in Montgomery, Alabama (1989) and concentrated on suing white supremacist groups (1990s).