Our Mission
The Morton Center provides help and support to individuals and loved ones in breaking the cycle of substance use.
Our Founders
For more than 35 years, we have been true to the original vision of our co-founders, Jane Morton Norton and John P. Walsh.
- Jane Norton
- A prominent Louisville businesswoman, civic leader, philanthropist, patron of the arts and artist. In 1948, her family established WAVE-TV, the first television station in Kentucky. She managed and had an active role in the station until her death in 1988 at age 88.
- John Walsh
- A Louisville native widely known in the field of chemical dependency and counseling. He has developed a nationally recognized recovery model. Mr. Walsh and his family live in Louisville, where he operates John Walsh Counseling & Consulting.
Our History
We get our name from United States Sen. Thruston B. Morton. His sister, Jane Morton Norton, and counselor John P. Walsh founded The Morton Center in 1984 in Senator Morton’s memory. He died in 1982, after representing Kentucky in the U.S. House and Senate as well as serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Mrs. Norton wanted to create something unique in Kentucky. Over 35 years later, her legacy, The Morton Center, recognizes that chemical dependency and other destructive, addictive behaviors tear families apart.
- In 1989, we established an Intensive Outpatient Program in partnership with Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Louisville.
- Our Intensive Outpatient Program continued to grow along with our other services, and in 2001, The Morton Center moved its statewide headquarters to its current, 14,500-square-foot facility in Louisville.
