Ernest Morrell, an American scholar and music executive, died on February 8, 2026.
He was an academic in English and Africana Studies and, in 2024, served as the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education at Notre Dame, director of the Notre Dame Center for Literacy Education, and associate dean for the Humanities and Equity in the College of Arts and Letters. Morrell was also the founder and president of Desert Highway Music, which produced blues and folk music.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later received teaching and graduate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ernest Morrell (April 27, 1971 – February 4, 2026) was an American academic of both English and Africana Studies. In 2024, he was the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education at Notre Dame, the Director of the Notre Dame Center for Literacy Education and the Associate Dean for the Humanities and Equity in the College of Arts and Letters.