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Donnelly’s fifth president, Dr. John Murry, 89, passed away on April 20, 2023. He was respected and loved by faculty, staff and students alike. Dr. Murry received his undergraduate degree from Rockhurst University and his master’s and doctorate from Kansas State University. He and his beloved wife of 66 years Mary Margaret were blessed with four children, 11 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild and many nieces and nephews.
Dr. Murry spent more than 40 years in higher education, including 19 years in various positions at Kansas State University and four years as president of Marymount College in Salina, Kansas. He served as Donnelly’s president for 11 years (1987–1998) after being recruited by his predecessor Father Ray Davern to become Donnelly’s first lay president. After retiring from Donnelly, Dr. Murry served as interim president of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Like most Donnelly students, Dr. Murry had to work to put himself through college. In a 1997 article from The Leaven newspaper, he said, “Students are our primary customers. We need to... treat them with respect and understanding. If they’re not here, we can all leave — there’s no need for us.”
Dr. Murry was also committed to securing the College’s future and building its endowment. He led a capital campaign with that goal for the College’s 50th anniversary. According to Mary Spangler, former director of development, “Some college presidents struggle with fundraising, but not Dr. Murry. His authenticity and genuine love for humanity resulted in strong, strategic and impactful philanthropic relationships that continue to benefit students today. He was a development director’s dream!”
Donnelly’s long-serving Director of Business Affairs Stephen Goceljak remembers that Dr. Murry worked hard to connect the College with businesses and organizations in the surrounding community. “Dr. Murry led the College during some of its most trying times, but he never gave up on the importance of its survival. His vision for the future of Donnelly was an inspiration to me in the quest to see Donnelly succeed.”
During his tenure, Dr. Murry recruited artist Michael Toombs to oversee the creation of a mural reflecting the cultural diversity of the Donnelly community. The mural featured more than 275 designs painted by more than 1,000 college and community volunteers.
“As Donnelly’s leader, Dr. Murry made sure that everyone in the community knew the story of the College and its mission,” he said. Over the years, Dr. Murry chaired or served on the boards of many community organizations. He felt particularly honored to have been elected as chair of the National Advisory Council to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2018, Rockhurst University honored him with their Xavier Medal of Honor alumni award for societal contributions. One of his many notable contributions included spearheading his family’s efforts that enrolled over 40,000 people into the national bone marrow donor registry, resulting in 160 lifesaving transplants to date.
As his obituary noted, “Dr. Murry will be remembered for his love of people and endearing sense of humor that made everyone feel respected, heard and loved.” A former associate described Dr. Murry as “very intelligent, but just a common guy. He used to lay bricks with his dad. He could visit with the president of the United States and fit right in, or he could sit down with a ditch digger and have a bologna sandwich and fit right in.”
Dr. Murry never stopped advocating for Donnelly. His obituary included this final “Note from Dad: If you can’t come to the funeral don’t worry about it, I expect to be talking to the Lord anyway. Don’t send flowers. Instead send money to Donnelly College or to the Benedictine Sisters in Atchison, KS who founded Donnelly, and is one fantastic community of women religious.”
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Dr. John Murry, left, and his wife Mary Margaret, right, chaired SHINE 2009, which honored the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica. In the center are Sister Laura Haug, OSB and Sister Paula Howard, OSB, who served as the dean during his tenure.
Family and former students and coworkers share testimonials
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Dr. Ken Gibson, sixth president of Donnelly College: "Dr. Murry was one of the kindest and most loving people I have ever known. He had a heart full of love for Donnelly College. He led the college during some of its most trying times, but he never gave up on the importance of its survival. With gentle patience and wisdom, he willed the continuation of the college as a resource for needy students. His vision for the future of Donnelly was an inspiration to me in the quest to see Donnelly succeed."
Stephen Goceljak, former director of business affairs: I worked with Dr. Murry during his entire tenure as president of Donnelly College. Some of those years were very challenging for Donnelly but also very rewarding. Dr. Murry was very loyal and trustworthy. He had a dry wit. As Donnelly's leader he made sure that everyone in the community knew the story of the College and its mission. One time Dr. Murry and I were interviewing for an accounting firm to conduct our annual audit. The gentleman representing one of the firms asked Dr. Murry, 'What does a person do with an English degree?' Dr. Murry looked at him and said, 'I hire accountants.' We didn't hire that firm. Over the years Dr. Murry became a good friend to me. Even after he left Donnelly, we would occasionally meet at (former dean) Francis Sanders' house for coffee to discuss Donnelly of course and current events. I miss the times working with him and the times we spent after he left Donnelly.”
Sister Grace Malaney, OSB: “Dr. Murry was among the kindest and most positive people I have ever met. I cherish his memory and am grateful for his example of service to Donnelly and the civic community.”
Delia Marin ’84: “Dr. Murry was more than just the ‘president of Donnelly’ for me. He was a dear friend and mentor who had a profound impact on my life. He was a guiding light who always made me feel like family.”
John Murry, Jr., Dr. Murry’s son: I had an opportunity to visit Donnelly with Dad on a number of occasions. Dad was very proud of the varied types of educational services Donnelly provided to the community that went beyond normal academic programs. He believed Donnelly’s mission was to improve people’s lives in Wyandotte County through education in many different forms and formats. I once asked Dad whether he found it difficult asking for donations to the College. He answered that it was not at all difficult because he did not ask for money for himself or even the College. He asked donors to support good, hard working people in the community, who were usually the first in their families to attend college. He knew these students needed financial help and that a donor’s investment would make it possible for the student to create opportunities for their own children and grandchildren. He measured his and Donnelly’s by how many lives the college could improve rather than how many of Donnelly’s students went on to attain bachelor's or graFduate degrees.
I enjoyed walking Donnelly’s halls with Dad. He would greet everybody we passed and usually introduced me to several students, staff, or faculty during each visit. I think he wanted me to meet them rather than them to meet me. The Donnelly community was part of his larger family and he wanted me to appreciate them as much as he did. During these introductions he would usually tell me a story about the person either right then or as we walked away. Dad was never satisfied to only know a person’s name. He wanted to understand their lives. Dad was very proud of Donnelly’s employees and students and cared deeply about the well-being of them and their families. I think the term “people person” is mistakenly applied to people who are energized by their interactions with other people. In contrast, Dad was a “people person” because of the care he extended to everybody with whom he interacted. He was energized by the ability of Donnelly to improve lives in the Wyandotte County community. He dedicated a decade of his life to that goal and we are very proud of what he accomplished!"
Kathleen “Beane” Parker, Dr. Murry’s daughter: "If anything was to be written about him he would want it known that he was a man of faith and he adored his family and he cherished his friends. Everything he did was rooted in his faith and about helping family, and his community. I think he accomplished so much throughout his life because of his love for people. He always entered a room excited about who he would see or meet. His first question when he encountered someone new was 'Where was home for you?' and then he would proceed to make connections. He was all about connections. A student may not have money for tuition but he knew a family with a scholarship to give, Benedictine College needed a dorm and he made connections to several donors to get it built, he needed his shirts laundered, because Mom certainly wasn’t interested, and he found Willa Mae, a 90-year-old Donnelly student who worked out of her home. From the large to the small he found people’s talents and interests and he made it his mission to match them up with opportunities where they would flourish. His friendships were life long.
I always marveled at how Dad managed his time because he seamlessly might be laying a new patio over the weekend for one of us kids, attending his grandkids' ball games while simultaneously working on the college endowment, leading a major community activity like the Wyandotte County United Way Campaign, tackling illiteracy or building the English as a Second Language Program for the inner city community. Mom always said that if he gets involved in something he was going to end up leading it because he had vision and a strong practical approach to getting the work done. However, he never did it alone. Dad networked and connected those very people who shared his vision, contributed great ideas and had the resources to see it through. And, whatever he took on, it had to be meaningful. I think others also valued Dad’s friendship. Sr. Paula, his Donnelly colleague and great friend, sent a note to Dad only a couple of years ago where she said that while saying her rosary she 'recalled many memories - the gift of friendship, your ability to say the right thing and recall a story to go with it, your many talents writing and working with all people and keeping them challenged, your courage in tackling impossible problems, your constant optimism, and more…. you have had a good life with many achievements to be proud of. Having Mary Margaret with you is perhaps your greatest.' I’m obviously extremely proud of Dad. He was my father but also my advisor, role model, inspiration and best friend. I miss him very much and I want to thank you for honoring him with an article.
Sister Mary Agnes Patterson, OSB: “I worked with Dr. Murry for many years as an employee and board member. He was a delight to work with and so dedicated to the mission and success of Donnelly College. His easy going personality and humor put people at ease. He was certainly a team player and respected everyone. He was a great person of faith and was devoted to his family."
Frances Sanders, former dean and vice president of institutional effectiveness: “John Murry was truly a gentleman, and just a nice person. The College’s mission was so important to him, and everyone at the College was well versed in that mission during his presidency. He would say that colleges like Harvard and Yale rated themselves by the students they admitted, whereas we rated ourselves by the students we graduated. He also said that we made a difference in not only our students’ lives but in their families’ lives for generations to come. He was also very involved in Wyandotte County and KCK. A woman who was very involved in the community, and was one of our oldest students (and graduates), mentioned how hot her house was one summer. John showed up at her house with a window air conditioner he had personally purchased, and he installed it for her. She was the one who spoke about it, not John. He was active in Rotary, including having been their president, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and United Way. He was a wonderful boss, mentor, and friend.”