William E. Murray †
William E. Murray †
Position:
Director Emeritus

In Bill’s tenure as Chairman of the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, he directed over $25 million towards medical, scientific, educational, and cultural causes. Bill also served as the Chairman of the Oliver S. & Jennie R. Donaldson Charitable Trust.

Beginning in 1971, Bill served as Senior Partner in Murray, Patterson & Sharpe and its successor firms. From 1968-1971, Bill was Counsel to Goldstein, Gurfein, Shames & Hyde. Previously, he was a Partner with Jackson, Nash, Brophy, Barringer & Brooks. Bill has served as a lecturer at Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University, the Practicing Law Institute, and the American Bankers Association.

Beginning in 1955, Bill served as chairman and CEO of East Bay Company, which has become a major developer of the downtown area of Charleston, South Carolina. He was the developer and former owner of Market Square in Charleston. From 1967-1986, Bill was the Director of the Shaw-Walker Company and he was involved in the reorganization of American International Petroleum Corporation.

Bill served as a trustee of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Saratoga Performing Arts, the Foundation for Neurosurgical Research, the Fund for American Studies, the Spoleto Festival of Charleston, South Carolina, the American Friends of the Game Conservancy, and Educational TV Endowment of South Carolina. He was on the Advisory Board of Columbia Presbyterian Health Sciences Division and Hollings Cancer Center of Medicine, University of South Carolina. He was the Chairman of the American Friends of The State Hermitage Museum and was a member of the Society for Advancement of Science and Education at Moscow State University. Bill joined the CRI Board in 1970.

Bill was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve, with which he served in the Pacific Theatre from 1945-46. Bill attended the Citadel and held a B.A. in naval sciences and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He also earned a L.L.M. degree from Harvard University. Bill has had Honorary DHL degrees bestowed on him from Southeastern Massachusetts University and the University of South Carolina. He has also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Marymount Manhattan College, where he was Chairman of the Board from 1989-2001 and was named a Trustee Emeritus in 2002.

William E. Murray passed away in August of 2007. He is deeply missed by all at EWI.