As vice president of the First National Bank of San Mateo County, J. Elmer Morrish had many Japanese American clients before the War. When E.O. 9066 abruptly removed Japanese Americans and sent them to detention camps, Morrish made it his mission to support them in any way possible.
He made many trips to Tanforan to get papers signed and to receive further instructions, which he then faithfully carried out. This included paying taxes and insurance policy premiums; becoming involved in the daily operations of his clients’ nursery businesses by negotiating with buyers to sell remaining stock and supplies. He checked on rental properties and made sure rent was paid, even physically inspecting the property and seeing to maintenance. After the transfer to Topaz, his clients corresponded with him by mail, sometimes asking him to retrieve items from storage and ship them to Topaz.
Over 2,000 documents are preserved at the Redwood City Public Library–letters and documents that tell the story of the banker who acted as guardian angel–and friend–to a community in need.
Source: Letters from Incarceration Camps