Life-long Butler businessman William Morgan is the grand marshal for the 41st Spirit of Christmas Parade on Nov. 25 on the city's Main Street.

Morgan was chosen to honor his efforts to build the Butler community though both his businesses and his volunteerism, according to Ron Vodenichar, the Butler Eagle's general manager.

The Eagle and Sprint are co-sponsors of the parade.

"After more than 50 years, Mr. Morgan continues to be a leader and innovator in Butler County's business community," Vodenichar said.

Morgan said being picked as this year's grand marshal "is an extremely neat honor.

"I am humbled that first this year I get named by the chamber and then this," he said Wednesday.

The Butler County Chamber of Commerce awarded Morgan its Lifetime Achievement Award and named a new award for him, the William A. Morgan Jr. Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

"I suppose these honors are a sign that you're getting old and reaching the end of your journey," Morgan said laughing. "I do know that we had planned to be out of town and when we heard about the parade, well, we sure changed our plans in a hurry."

The annual parade, which will be at 10 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving, is the traditional kick off to the holiday season in the community.

It will have 100 entries, including high school bands, floats, marching units, fire companies, queens and animal groups.

This year's parade theme is A Christmas Wonderland.

For his journey along the Butler parade route, Morgan will travel in his gold Cadillac convertible that he bought for good work done when he was the fifth Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisee in the world. The car's license-plate holder boasts Morgan's membership as a Kentucky Colonel.

Morgan began his career by establishing Morgan Management in 1953 and buying Dight's Diner then at the corner of South Washington and West Jefferson streets in Butler. The diner was the first establishment in Morgan's restaurant chain in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

The next restaurant was Morgan's Wonder Boy Drive-In on North Main Street in the Bon Aire Plaza.

In 1969, Morgan opened the first automated car wash in Butler County on Route 8 north, adding a second location on New Castle Road seven years later.

Morgan Management also operated 50 refrigerated tractor-trailers that hauled mushrooms from Moonlight Mushroom, owned a recreational vehicle dealership and contracted Sylex Homes in the county.

By 1970, Morgan wanted to try his hand at retirement, and he sold the restaurant chain. But he returned to business in 1972 buying the former Spaide Shirt Factory building on Brugh Avenue. Renovations changed the former factory into the Morgan Management Building professional offices. It was destroyed by fire in June 2003.

He also owns and operates the Morgan Center on Diamond Street in Butler and the Eastland Plaza, the Eastland Business Center and the former Morgan's Eastland Diner, which is where Morgan II has been built.

Morgan II, mainly a medical arts/business building, opened just more than a year ago.