Vaughn Morrissy, among the first group of female officers hired by the Chicago Police Department in the 1940s and a star bowler who used her athletic talent as a crime prevention tool, died Monday in her St. Charles home. She was 89.
Mrs. Morrissy was a fiercely independent woman who enjoyed the challenge of integrating women into the police department. She also used some creative techniques to fight crime, including introducing her “Three Strikes Against Crime” program, a series of bowling tournaments designed to turn inner-city youths to bowling instead of the streets, in much the same way night basketball programs work today.
Sensing the need to coordinate the Chicago department’s efforts with other officers throughout the area, Mrs. Morrissy also co-founded the Illinois Juvenile Officers Association, and later was its president.
A native of Chicago, Mrs. Morrissy joined the Chicago Police Department in 1947, and worked in the juvenile division from the start. As one of the first female officers, she had to fight for recognition and respect, said Lynn Jaffke, a sergeant in the St. Charles Police Department who befriended Mrs. Morrissy several years ago.
“Obviously there was a struggle. The men didn’t want them sworn in,” Jaffke said. “But she was truly a trailblazer, and she was tough.”
Mrs. Morrissy’s enthusiasm and toughness won the admiration of many of her colleagues, including some skeptical male officers.
“She was a very capable officer, and she knew all about the job and how to handle herself,” said her former partner, Vincent Burke. “And she was always willing to go that extra mile.”
Before she joined the Chicago department, Mrs. Morrissy distinguished herself in another predominantly male world–bowling. She was a star bowler of her era, slowing down only after she contracted and eventually beat throat cancer, said Sam Weinstein, who hosted a radio show on bowling for 62 years.
Once she joined the Chicago department, Mrs. Morrissy decided her bowling expertise was the ideal way to help bring troubled youths into the sport, Weinstein said. She helped organize the tournaments until her retirement in 1972.
After she retired to St. Charles, Mrs. Morrissy was again drawn into crime prevention, and helped get her local department’s Crime Stoppers program under way in 1980. She worked seven days a week answering anonymous crime tips from residents, which she then relayed to Police Department personnel. She also served for many years on the St. Charles Youth Commission.
In her retirement, Mrs. Morrissy remained active in the Illinois Juvenile Officers Association, the International Juvenile Officers Association and several women’s law enforcement groups.
“She was a giver. She just enjoyed helping people and dealing with kids,” Jaffke said. “And she always encouraged women to be active in law enforcement.”
Mrs. Morrissy’s husband, Frank Morrissy, died in 1994. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Honeyman; four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Services were held in St. Charles.
