Grover Elmer Murray (October 26, 1916 – May 22, 2003) was an American geologist, educator, and writer.
Early life
Grover Murray was born in
Maiden,
North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to
Newton
Newton most commonly refers to:
* Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist
* Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton
Newton may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film
* Newton ( ...
where Murray attended public school. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a degree in geology. He went on to
Louisiana State University in
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
,
Louisiana, where he received an M.S. in 1939 and a Ph.D. in 1942.
Louisiana State University
Murray began his career as a
geologist in the
petroleum industry. In 1948, he became a professor at LSU. In 1963, Murray was promoted to Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. Two years later, he became Vice President for Academic Affairs for the entire
Louisiana State University System.
Texas Tech
On September 1, 1966, Murray departed
Louisiana for
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
, where he had accepted the job as president of Texas Technological College. During his time there, which ended in 1976, the school expanded considerably. The
law school
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
and
medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
were built and the International Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Land Studies was created.
As a result, also during Murray's time, the name of the school was changed from Texas Technological College to
Texas Tech University.
He was a member of the
International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences
The International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences (INHIGEO) promotes ongoing research into the history of the earth sciences, particularly the history of geology. It has 20 Honorary Senior Members and 301 members (2018) worldwide. ...
since 1967.
Later life
After retiring as the president of Texas Tech, Murray continued to teach a geology course. Further, he returned to geologic consulting.
In 1996, he was awarded the
William H. Twenhofel Medal The William H. Twenhofel Medal is the highest award given by the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). It was instituted in memory of William H. Twenhofel and is awarded annually to a person for his or her "Outstanding Contributions to Sedimentar ...
, which is the highest award given by the
Society for Sedimentary Geology. Also in 1996, Murray and his wife, Sally, created the Grover E. Murray Education Award. Funded by Murray, the
AAPG
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries as of 2021. The AAPG works to "advance the science of geology, especially as ...
Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award is also named in his honor.
Award:Educator
/ref>
References
External links
Texas Tech University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Grover
1916 births
2003 deaths
People from Newton, North Carolina
Presidents of Texas Tech University
20th-century American geologists
People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
People from Lubbock, Texas
People from Maiden, North Carolina
Louisiana State University faculty
20th-century American academics