Editing Levi P. Morton (section)

==Post-vice presidency (1893–1920)==

===Governor of New York (1895–1896)===
[[File:LMorton.png|thumb|right|Gubernatorial portrait of Levi P. Morton]]
In 1894, Morton was elected governor of New York, defeating Democratic nominee [[David B. Hill]] and several minor party candidates.<ref name="Red_Book"/>  He served one two-year term, January 1, 1895, to December 31, 1896.<ref name="LPMbioguide"/> One initiative in which Morton was involved as governor was the consolidation of several New York City-area municipalities as the [[City of Greater New York]], which took effect on January 1, 1898.<ref name="Miller_Center"/>

Another Morton priority was [[Civil service reform in the United States|civil service reform]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> Morton pursued a moderate course on the issue, but remained firm in his support, which placed him in opposition to political party bosses who favored the [[spoils system]].<ref name="SenateHistorian"/> As a result, in 1896 the Republican Party nominated [[Frank S. Black]], who was perceived as closer to the party bosses than Morton.<ref name="SenateHistorian"/>

Morton was a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination [[1896 Republican National Convention|in 1896]], but the delegates chose [[William McKinley]].<ref name=Miller_Center/> Morton was then considered for the vice presidential nomination, but McKinley's campaign manager, [[Mark Hanna]], was opposed, and the nomination went to [[Garret Hobart]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rothbard |first=Murray N. |date=2017 |title=The Progressive Era |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w7M4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 |location=Auburn, Ala. |publisher=Mises Institute |page=213 |isbn=978-1-61016-677-5 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> After he completed his term as governor, Morton returned to his business career and management of his investments.<ref name="LPMbioguide"/>

===Later life===
[[File:L.P. Morton - Pach Bros., N.Y. LCCN2014682703 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Morton in 1907]]
In 1890, Morton became one of the first members of the District of Columbia Society of the [[Sons of the American Revolution]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Cornish |first=Louis H. |date=1902 |title=A National Register of the Society, Sons of the American Revolution |volume=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BwyqRbA-2ykC&pg=PA269 |location=New York |publisher=Andrew H. Kellogg |page=269 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> He was also a member of the [[General Society of Colonial Wars]].<ref name="1921Memory"/>

In retirement, he served as president of the [[Metropolitan Club (New York City)|Metropolitan Club]].<ref name="Club">{{cite book |date=1940 |title=Club Members of New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sKEjAQAAMAAJ&q=%22l+p+morton%22 |location=New York |publisher=Club Members of New York, Inc. |page=136 |quote=Seven presidents have presided over the club: J. Pierpont Morgan, L. P. Morton, F. K. Sturgis...}}</ref> He was preceded in that office by [[J. Pierpont Morgan]] and succeeded by [[Frank Knight Sturgis]]<ref name="Club"/> He was also a member of the [[Union League Club of New York]], and served as president of the [[New York Zoological Society]] from 1897 to 1909.<ref name="1921Memory">{{cite news |title=Praise the Memory of Levi P. Morton |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/01/10/archives/praise-the-memory-of-levi-p-morton-family-and-delegates-from-many.html |access-date=March 5, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 10, 1921 |page=10 |via=Times Machine}}</ref>

Morton became ill during the winter of 1919 to 1920; a cold developed into bronchitis, and he eventually contracted pneumonia, which proved fatal.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 17, 1920 |title=Levi P. Morton is Dead on his 96th Birthday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/64385651/ |work=The Sun and the New York Herald |location=New York |page=1 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> He died in [[Rhinebeck, New York]], on May 16, 1920, [[Birthday effect|his 96th birthday]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Morton A Resident Of Washington. Only Part of His Estate Will Be Taxable in This State. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/05/18/118316212.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/05/18/118316212.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 18, 1920 |access-date=May 16, 2015 }}</ref> After a memorial service at the [[Cathedral of St. John the Divine]], he was interred at Rhinebeck Cemetery.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 18, 1920 |title=Many Notables to Attend Funeral of Levi P. Morton |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/114938646/|work=Poughkeepsie Eagle-News |location=Poughkeepsie, N.Y. |page=1 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> At age 96, Morton was the [[List of vice presidents of the United States by age|longest living]] [[vice president of the United States]] until [[John Nance Garner]], who died at age 98, surpassed him in 1964.<ref>{{cite news |last=B. L. |date=September 22, 2002 |title=Vice presidential haunts |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-09-22-0209210020-story.html |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=May 14, 2020}}</ref>