Harry was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 10. 1915, as Harry Bratsberg, the son of Hannah Christine Hanson*** and Henry Arnold Bratsberg, a mechanic, who were of Swedish and Norwegian ancestry.  His father and 2 uncles worked on the Erie Canal.  His father also worked at a factory in Detroit where Eddie Rickenbacker produced his car.

Shortly after his birth (1920), his family moved to Muskegon, Michigan, 42 miles west northwest of Grand Rapids which at the time was a town where Norwegian was spoken on the streets and a good many of the country's engine blocks were manufactured.

The family lived on 7th Street, not far from Central Campus so he went to Muskegon High School (aka Muskegon Junior College, now Muskegon Community College). When Morgan's father Henry registered at junior high school, the registrar spelled it Bratsburg instead of Bratsberg. Bashful Henry did not demur.

Wanting to become a lawyer, his specialty was debating and in his junior year he and and fellow debaters went all the way to a state championship, defeating Oxford in the finals at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor (Apr 29. 1932). Young Harry was a popular classmate, being named class president in his senior year (1933). He played varsity football despite his small stature.

He played a part in Clare Kummer's play Rollo's Wild Oat and he demonstrated a knack for drama during the annual student variety show, recounting a tale that likely veered into fiction. Donned in a trench coat and galoshes, he regaled the audience with a supposed conversation he had with Mata Hari's husband. Through his public speaking and debating classes, Morgan apparently realized what assets he had in his strong (and distinctive) voice and his presence.

Harry was offered a scholarship to the University of Chicago pre-law. He opted out for financial reasons, and quit after two years.

So in 1935 he joined the sales dept. at Shaw-Walker Company and was send to Washington D.C. He was selling (or not selling, as he clarified) office equipment making $20 a week selling office supplies, in 1937. "I only made $10 a week as an actor" he recalled bitterly, "and the week after I quit my job a fellow I was working with made $200,000 - selling all the filing cabinets to the Social Security office." 

He auditioned for the Washington Civic Theatre. "Because I was lonesome, just at night for something to do". He first performed there in the play The Front Fage (1936) with Charley Barry (who later became the head of NBC) at the then Wardman Park Theater (now Sheraton Washington Hotel).

The director for the plays, Day Tuttle (together with Richard Skinner), also owned two summer stock companies "The Country Players" in Westport, CT and "Westchester Players" in Mt. Kisco, N.Y.  The two companies, which had many of the Civic Theatre members alternated between those locations.

So together with Frances Farmer and Mildred Natwick, he performed alongside her for the first time in the companies' At Mrs. Beams, followed by roles in The Virginian (Aug 1937), starring Henry Fonda. For the latter one critic wrote: "Mr. Harry Bartsburg, as the villain, gave the only outstanding performance of the evening. He was right and sure of himself all through a long and boring evening, and when it was his turn to be undone, as all bad villains have to be in plays, and then killed, I felt that an outrage had been committed. Here they were killing off the only player doing a good job. Fortunately villains are generally done away with just a few minutes before the last curtain..."

Shortly after followed by his part in The Petrified Forest (Westchester Playhouse, Aug 23. 1937) again prompting more than favorable reviews showing "a mastery of villainy that is sure to take him far in the theatre, where a convincing sneer and rasp are much harder to find than a pretty profile or rows of teeth suitable for use in dental ads."

Frances Famer helped him get an interview with The Group Theater, comprised of a great many of the finest dramatic talents ever in U.S. history: Clifford Odets, Howard Clurman, Elia Kazan, Lee J. Cobb, Sanford Meisner, John Garfield, Karl Malden. Morgan was accepted into the Group, and appeared in a very successful Odets play called Golden Boy (Belasco, Nov 4. 1937 - Jun 4. 1938), in which he played a boxer, Pepper White (he once had a nasty family dog by that name.) It played Broadway for a year and then about ten weeks in London (St.James's Theater, Jun 21. - Aug 1938), where the cast spent some time with Paul Robeson and met Winston Churchill. Upon their return the show went on the road to Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington D.C., ... .A host of successful Broadway roles followed (always billed as Harry Bratsburg). Morgan also did summer stock at the Pine Brook Country Club located in the countryside of Nichols, Connecticut.

In 1939 he briefly earned two salaries on Broadway, appearing in the first act of My Heart's in the Highlands (Guild Theatre, Apr 13. - May 1. 1939), and in the third act of The Gentle People (aka Quiet City, Belasco Theatre, Jan 5. - May 6. 1939).

Tower of Light was a play by Robert Ardrey staged by Elia Kazan for The Group Theater, It featured Lee Cobb, Frances Farmer, Art Smith and Harry Bratsburg. This was the name for the try-outs of Thunder Rock (Mansfield Theater, Nov 14. 1939 - Dec 2 1939).  Harry remained with The Group Theater until the group disbanded in early 1941 after playing The Night Before Christmas (Morosco Theater, Apr 10. - 27. 1941).

Frances Farmer was from Seattle, where she had grown up with Eileen Detchon, another aspiring Broadway actress, the latter met Harry while working together in a William Saroyan play called My Heart's in the Highlands. They were wed on September 1. 1940 (the census in April '40 lists them as married) and Harry found work in small theater and in radio. Frances Farmer persuaded the newlyweds to relocate to the West coast. Morgan entered a difficult period - he did not work for five months.

He had a sort of breakthrough in another Saroyan play called Hello, Out There!** (Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara Sep. 10. 1941), a very charming one-act work with very few characters David Selznick was producing. Morgan played "Photo-Finish", a rapist in the jail of a small Texas town and Phyllis Walker (later aka Jennifer Jones) the jail cook. It was intended as a paring with another one-act work. Charlie Feldman one of the biggest Hollywood agents came to see that and offered to be his agent. He went along and one week later he had a contract with 20th Century-Fox Studios and a few years of security, with Harry appearing as Henry Morgan in a few dozen films, often as comedic character or a heavy — not much in between.

Upon his return to Muskegon, Michigan, his mother, Hannah Hanson, passed away in January 1942.

Morgan made his screen debut (originally using the name "Henry Morgan") as contract actor in To the Shores of Tripoli (20th Century-Fox, Mar 24. 1942). His screen name later became "Henry 'Harry' Morgan" and eventually Harry Morgan. It was 20th Century-Fox that changed the actor's name to Henry Morgan. "Henry Morgan, in a sense, was a worse name than my own, Harry Bratsburg," said Morgan. "Everyone confused me with the popular radio comic. I decided to call myself 'Harry' Morgan." Press agent "Madman" Muntz had suggested his new name.

Morgan became close friends with bandleader Glenn Miller (Morgan's son led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for a few years), whom he met while filming  Orchestra Wives (20th Century-Fox, Sep 4. 1942), until Miller's death two years later. Later, Morgan would portray the role of pianist Chummy MacGregor in the 1954 film about his friend, The Glenn Miller Story.

Morgan served in the US Army during WW2 where he joined other actors making training films. One of his works, The Rifle Platoon made in 1942 is available on YouTube.

Between 1942 and 1946 the family celebrated the birth of four sons, all were born in Los Angeles, the last two being twins. "There was an entire year in there early on when my dad didn't get a single day's work, and he had four young mouths to feed." (3)

Morgan hosted the NBC radio series Mystery in the Air starring Peter Lorre in 1947.

One memorable role was in the movie The Big Clock (Paramount, Apr 9. 1948) in which he plays a very menacing bodyguard/henchman to Charles Laughton. His lines were perfunctory and so he suggested that they just have the character be a mute — a touch that works very well.

On the radio, he was heard in 1949 in the series Dragnet (NBC, August 18, 1949) and again as an obtrusive, alcohol-addled hotel clerk in the episode "The Big Boys" (NBC, 1950). This Is Your FBI (ABC-radio) had him in several episodes between September 1950 and May 1951. Seems strange that an actor with such a distinctive voice wasn't featured in more radio programs. Perhaps the other media offered more lucrative deals.

Harry and his family lived in a ranch-type home in West Los Angeles and his hobbies included photography, horseback-riding, handball and bicycling. He also loves to cook and is a collector of fine symphonic music recordings. When television became an everyday reality in the '50s, Morgan was ready.

The title of the sitcom December Bride (CBS-Desilu, 1954–1959), starring Spring Byington, referenced the single and available status of the show’s lead character, 60-something year-old Lily Ruskin. “Elderly” by societal standards then (and now), Lily refused to “act her age,” was as adventuresome, open-minded and independent as anyone even half her age.

Morgan had a popular recurring role portraying Pete Porter, the next-door neighbor of the Henshaw family. Pete harbored disdain towards his mother-in-law and found his wife, Gladys, quite intolerable. Despite being frequently mentioned, Gladys never made an appearance.

Pete, portrayed by Morgan, garnered significant attention, leading to the creation of his own show titled Pete & Gladys (CBS, Sep 19. 1960 - Sep 10. 1962). It was in this series that Gladys, played by Cara Williams, was finally revealed on screen.

The show was not nearly as successful as its predecessor.

“Doing a TV series is about the same as pictures,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 1959. “The stage is more satisfying — except for the stomach. But I enjoy 'December Bride'. I look forward to doing each show. The people are enjoyable to work with. And Pete’s style of of humor is pretty close to my own.” Later he would contrast the two series, by telling the El Paso Herald-Post, “'December Bride' was a pleasant and wonderful association. 'Pete and Gladys,' not so pleasant.”

Morgan appeared on several famous TV-shows including The Partridge Family (1970 and 1972) and Gunsmoke (CBS, Nov 23. 1970 - Feb 10. 1975). 

In Ellery Queen Don't Look Behind You (Universal, Nov 19. 1971) Peter Lawford played the title role and Morgan, well-suited as the long-suffering Dad, Inspector Queen, was rewritten as a long-suffering uncle. Thus resolving not only the difference in accents between the two actors, but also the small age difference.

Morgan's biggest role was that of a tough-talking, commanding, fun-loving, serious Army Officer, "Col. Sherman T. Potter" on M*A*S*H (20th Century Fox, 1974 - 1983), when he replaced McLean Stevenson, who left the show to unsuccessfully star in his own sitcom. For the third time, the show was still a hit with fans, and at 60, he was nominated for Emmys eleven times and won his first and only Emmy in 1980, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series. By 1983, M*A*S*H's series was getting very expensive, as well as with the cast, hence, CBS reduced it to 16 episodes. Despite M*A*S*H's finale in 1983, Morgan went on to star in a short-lived spin-off series After M*A*S*H (1983), co-starring Jamie Farr and William Christopher, from the original M*A*S*H series, without series' star Alan Alda. (1)
When asked about his feelings during the shooting of the final episode of the show, Morgan said: “Sadness and an aching heart.” 

In a business in which friendships / often end at a series wrap party, Morgan is pleased to have an important carry-over from the M*A*S*H - days. "Loretta Swit called me from London," Morgan once said on the day before Christmas. "I think she's probably my best friend. She didn't even call collect" (Loretta lived next door to him).

Towards the end of his acting career, as he reached 80, he had a recurring role as the older college professor on 3rd Rock from the Sun (Carsey-Werner, 1996-97), opposite John Lithgow (see picture above right). Soon afterwards, he retired from show business and lived with his family.

His latest appearance on television was in the M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2002.

Was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2006.

Other references
(1) IMDb
(2) Wikipedia
(3) Harry Morgan profile at Norwegian American Hall of Fame
(4) Playbills
(5) Old Time Radio Downloads
(6) OTRRpedia
(7) Radiogoldindex
(8) IBDB
(9) RadioSpirits Happy Birthday Harry Morgan by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. (Apr 10th 2022)
(10) Harry Morgan Wanted to Be Remembered as a 'Pleasant Person'
       after 'M*A*S*H' Made Him a 'Better Human' by Esther NJeri (Apr 04, 2022)
(11) Harry Morgan and His Classic TV Career, From ‘Dragnet’ to M*A*S*H
        and Beyond by Ed Gross (Feb 29 2024)

Additional video & audio sources
(1) Harry Morgan interview at Archive of American Television
(2) The Partridge Family Clip from TV series with Harry Morgan
(3) Race Street Clip from 1948 movie with George Raft and Harry Morgan (YouTube)
(4) Dragnet (1987) Clip from the movie (YouTube)
(5) After M*A*S*H (1983) Clip from the TV series (YouTube)
(6) Pete & Gladys (1962) Clip from the TV episode "Hero in the House"
(7) MASH 30th Anniversary Reunion Special 2002 complete (Youtube)
(8) The Jerry Lewis Show 10/1/68 with Jack Webb, Harry Morgan (YouTube)
(9) Harry Morgan yelling compilation (YouTube)