Providing Access to Holy Cross a Priority for Murray

When Robert C. Murray ’68, P’93, was a student at Holy Cross, the student population was “mostly Irish-Catholic men from the northeast,” he says. And though Murray believes that the College has made great strides toward increasing diversity on campus, he also thinks "there is still a ways to go." When he decided to make a gift to the campaign—to give back to the school that had equipped him with the skills to lead a meaningful life—he asked that the money go toward efforts being made on campus to increase diversity.

With that in mind, Murray established “The Ellen and Robert C. Murray Scholarship Fund” with a $100,000 gift to the College. Preference in awarding the scholarship will be made for African-American students with great financial need.

Murray, a retired partner at Morgan Stanley & Co. and CFO of Public Service Enterprise Group, says he is a “big believer in the value of diversity.” He learned in the workplace that the best decisions are made by diverse groups of people. He also got a gentle nudge from his wife, Ellen, and his daughter, Erin Murray Marra ’93, both clinical social workers who have worked with underserved populations in the New York City area. Both women helped Murray see the unique challenges faced by economically disadvantaged people of color and suggested that his gift to Holy Cross be targeted to help them. The Murrays live in Irvington, NY. Their two grown children are Erin and Griffin.