Johnny Morris

Preserving the American Dream in the Great Outdoors

With an estimated net worth of $9.8, Johnny Morris (or John Morris) is the wealthiest person in Missouri. But you probably wouldn’t know that if you ever met him. He’s an average guy who is committed to his family, his community, and the environment. And he just happened to find success in what he loves—hunting and fishing.

Johnny Morris’s fortune has come from sporting good retailer Bass Pro Shops, which Morris founded and still oversees as the company’s CEO. But this outdoorsman’s empire didn’t just happen overnight. It’s a passion project that has been growing for over 50 years, and it all started with a young Johnny Morris selling fishing tackles out of his father’s liquor store.

A Passion for Fishing and Good Lures

Johnny Morris was born in 1948 in Springfield, Missouri. Johnny grew up with a passion for the outdoors, especially fishing. His father was a real estate developer and owned several liquor stores and cleaners in Springfield, and he instilled in Johnny a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit.

“I guarantee he taught Johnny and the family how to be successful,” said George Thompson, one of Morris’s longtime friends.

Johnny Morris graduated from Springfield’s Drury College in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in business and economics. In 1972, his dreams of becoming a professional bass fisherman were getting frustrated by the limited options for fishing tackle that were available locally. He had already participated in a professional event and had seen the kind of equipment that was available on the market but inaccessible to his local community. So Morris decided to take the matter into his own hands.

Selling Tackle Out of a Liquor Store

He asked his father if he could sell equipment out of his Brown Derby liquor store. His father had actually already tried to do that at one point, but nobody took the bait, literally. He was understandably hesitant, assuming his son would also be unsuccessful. But being supportive, he agreed to let Johnny have a go. He co-signed a $10,000 loan, and Johnny loaded up a U-Haul trailer with $10,000 worth of equipment, which he sold in a 64-square-foot section of the store.

It was a modest operation at best. But this humble circumstance marked the beginning of Bass Pro Shops. The company has since grown into a retail giant with more than 170 Bass Pro Shops locations and dozens of Cabela’s locations (Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s in 2016 for $4.5 billion). The company’s annual sales exceed $8 billion, and it has developed a well-deserved reputation as a cornerstone of the outdoor recreation industry.

Building Bigger

Johnny Morris certainly faced significant challenges in the early years of Bass Pro Shops, including stiff competition from established retailers like Walmart and the nuances of navigating the fragmented outdoor sports market. His innovative vision was to create a “retail mecca for sportsmen,” blending outdoor shopping with entertainment and education to enhance the customer experience for those sportsmen.

In 1981, Morris opened his first supersized store in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. Inspired by L.L. Bean’s headquarters in Maine, Morris designed the store to feature aquariums, waterfalls, and plenty of staged displays of taxidermy animals. The result was an immersive shopping experience for outdoor enthusiasts that set Bass Pro Shops apart from its competitors and positioned Johnny Morris as a trailblazer in the industry.

Bass Pro Shops Acquires Cabela’s

An important turning point in the history of Bass Pro Shops came in 2017 when it acquired outdoor retail rival Cabela’s for $4.5 billion. It was a bold move that paid off, it nearly doubled the company’s retail footprint and increased the company’s influence in the North Central, Intermountain, and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States. It also effectively solidified Bass Pro Shops as a nearly undisputed leader in outdoor retail across the US and Canada.

Using Family as a Foundation for Success

Throughout his American Dream story, Johnny Morris has consistently emphasized the importance of family. His father’s co-signing of that $10,000 loan and entrepreneurial guidance were instrumental in helping Morris launch the business. A photograph of Morris and his father fishing together is prominently displayed in every Bass Pro Shops store, acting as a tribute to his father’s influence and their shared love for the great outdoors.

Morris credits his sister Susie with first upgrading and computerizing some of the company’s administrative systems, including inventory and customer lists. He has had other family members involved in the business too and has said that family involvement is “the best,” despite some of the struggles that inevitably come when working with family members.

Morris’s family continues to play a vital role in the business. His son, John Paul Morris, serves as the general manager of Bass Pro Shop’s online operations, helping the company grow in the digital age. This multigenerational involvement underscores the importance of family in the life of Johnny Morris, including his business philosophy.

Preserving Nature for Future Generations

Naturally, with such a strong passion for all things outdoors, Johnny Morris has used his influence to advocate for and lead conservation efforts and environmental education. He has been a lifelong champion of preserving the earth’s natural resources, and he has donated millions to initiatives that promote recreating in the outdoors and being good stewards of the environment.

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium

One of Morris’s most notable and fun achievements in conservation is the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, located next to Bass Pro Shops headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. The 350,000-square-foot facility opened in 2017 and includes a 1.3-million-gallon aquarium and exhibits dedicated to wildlife conservation. The facility is considered one of the world’s largest and most notable conservation attractions, it serves as a testament to Morris’s commitment to inspiring future generations to appreciate and protect the natural world. But Morris’s conservation efforts go far beyond this flagship project.

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park

Through multiple acquisitions of land, Morris established Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Located in  a 10,000-acre nature preserve in southern Missouri, Dogwood Canyon offers visitors the chance to experience the beauty of the outdoors in a variety of ways.

The park features hiking trails, trout streams, horseback riding, and wildlife tours. It even has a conservation center and an amazing treehouse for educational activities, a working gristmill, a restaurant, and a chapel for weddings—just another example of how Johnny Morris always goes above and beyond to help people have unique experiences with nature.

Recognized for Conservation Efforts

Morris is a steadfast supporter of organizations like the National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, and other leading conservation organizations. And he has contributed to their missions of protecting wildlife and habitats. Bass Pro Shops has contributed millions of dollars to Ducks Unlimited, helping the nonprofit conserve tens of thousands of acres of vital habitat.

In 2019, Johnny Morris and his family were awarded the Audubon Medal for their outstanding contributions to conservation and environmental protection.

Promoting Outdoor Heritage

Johnny Morris has dedicated his entire life to promoting America’s outdoor heritage. He has played a pivotal role in protecting public lands and waterways and conserving wildlife, ensuring that future generations of outdoorsmen and -women can enjoy the natural beauty that inspired his own lifelong journey. Bass Pro Shops has supported many youth programs that encourage love of the outdoors through fishing, hunting, and camping.

Morris knows that he won’t be around forever and that eventually conservation efforts will be entirely in the hands of the younger generations. Morris’s vision is not merely to protect the environment but to pass on the mantle of conservation.

Johnny Morris and His Outdoor Legacy

Who would’ve thought that selling fishing tackle in a liquor store would lead to a billion-dollar outdoor retail empire. Financial success is certainly part of the American Dream, and Morris has certainly created many jobs as well. But the American Dream for Johnny Morris is about more than building up Bass Pro Shops into a successful nationwide retailer.

His legacy lies in his dedication to preserving America’s natural resources and beauty, ensuring that the American Dream can be a reality for all who will come after him. Without a healthy planet, there can’t be a dream for anybody.

Though he is an accomplished businessman, Johnny Morris has left a legacy that will be remembered by anglers, hunters, hikers, campers, and all who love wildlife and the great outdoors.