Presbyterian minister, translator, and the London Missionary Society's first missionary to China; he is considered the father of Protestant mission work there.

After studies in theology and Chinese, Morrison was ordained in 1807 and was immediately sent by the society to Canton. In 1809 he became translator to the East India Company, a post he held until his death. Only 10 converts were baptized during the 27 years of his service in China, but each proved faithful. Admission of the convert Liang A-fa to the office of evangelist was the first Protestant ordination performed in China.

With his colleague William Milne, Morrison founded the Anglo-Chinese College in Malacca (moved to Hong Kong in 1843) and translated the New Testament into Chinese (1813). Their translation of the entire Bible appeared in 1821. Among Morrison's other works are a Grammar of the Chinese Language (1815) and a Dictionary of the Chinese Language, in Three Parts (1815–23). After his death another school for Chinese youth, located first in Macau (1838) and later in Hong Kong (1842), was established by the newly founded Morrison Education Society.