The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Jim Murray

Broadcast Pioneers member Jim Murray is president of Jim Murray Ltd., a sports promotion and marketing firm. Eagles Cheers, a pro football TV show that was introduced in the Philadelphia market, is among the Jim Murray Ltd. productions.

Murray is a native of Philadelphia and a 1960 alumnus of Villanova University. He began his career in sports administration immediately after graduation with the Tidewater Tides of baseball’s Sally League.

After a stint of active duty with the Marine Corps Reserve, he returned to baseball as assistant general manager of the Atlanta Crackers, an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Murray left baseball in 1964 to enter the restaurant business first in Atlanta and later in Malibu. Two years later, he returned to a sports career as sports information director at Villanova.

In 1969, Murray joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ public relations staff and two years later, he became the NFL team’s administrative assistant. In 1974, just five years after joining the organization, he was named the Eagles’ general manager.

During Murray’s more than nine years as general manager, he took the franchise from the NFL’s cellar to Super Bowl heights. In 1976, he and owner Leonard Tose hired Dick Vermeil as head coach. For four consecutive years, from 1978 through 1981, the Eagles made the NFL playoffs under Murray’s guidance. After the 1980 season, the Eagles played the Raiders in Super Bowl XV. This was the first Super Bowl appearance in the franchise’s history. He left the Eagles in 1983.

During his 14 years with the Eagles, Murray assumed leadership roles in a number of community projects. He helped start the very successful Eagles Fly for Leukemia campaign. He was a co-founder of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia and helped persuade many of his peers in the NFL to become involved in the unique Ronald McDonald House concept. The Ronald McDonald Houses provide temporary homes, at little or no cost, for the families of children undergoing treatment for various illnesses at nearby hospitals.

Started in Philadelphia in 1974, there are now 322 Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide. Jim Murray is a board member of the Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia and a past president of the International Advisory Board for the Ronald McDonald Houses.

In 1983, Murray received pro football’s prestigious Bert Bell Award from The Bakers Club of Philadelphia. Past recipients of the award include former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, Chicago Bears founder George Halas and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, Sr.

From 1985-87, Murray served as director of Marketing for Garden State Racetrack. In 1987, Murray received President Ronald Reagan’s Medal for Volunteers of America, at a White House ceremony.

In 1992, Murray received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Legion (Department of Pennsylvania) and was inducted into the Philadelphia City All-Star Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1994, Murray received an Honorary Degree from Our Lady of Holy Cross College and on October 10, 1995, Murray was honored by the Philadelphia Catholic School System by being inducted into their Distinguished Graduates Hall of Fame.

November 17, 1995, Murray received La Salle University’s “Signum Fidei Medal” (Sign of Faith) at their Alumni Association Awards Dinner in honor of his Ronald McDonald House achievements.

December 3, 1997, the Philadelphia County Medical Society honored Murray with the Benjamin Rush Humanitarian Award.

April 9, 1999, Murray’s alma mater, West Catholic High School, honored him at the Blue Ribbon Gala as one of their outstanding alumni and January 29, 2002, he was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
May 15, 1999, Murray received an honorary degree of letters from his alma mater, Villanova University. June 20, 1999, Murray was honored by the American Medical Association (Chicago) with the Citizen of the Year Award.

December 2002, Eagles Fly for Leukemia and The Philadelphia Bakers Club honored Murray with the first annual Leonard Tose Award.

April 5, 2003, Neumann College (Aston, Pennsylvania) honored Murray with its Neumann College Presidential Humanitarian Award.

May 22, 2004, DeSales University (Center Valley, Pennsylvania), awarded him a Doctor of Human Letters.

The 2004 recipient of the Small Miracles Award, presented by The Center for Autistic Children (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

June 2, 2005, Holy Family University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Presidential Award, presented to those who have shown distinguished leadership on behalf of our Church and our Catholic community in the arena of politics and public policy. Jim received that award.

November 4, 2005, he was the recipient of the Catholic Leadership Institute’s 2005 Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership.

December 12, 2006, he was the recipient of the Arthritis Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania’s Community Leader of the Year Award (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

In September 2007, he received the honor of being named one of the 75 Greatest Living Philadelphians—those individuals who have made a positive contribution to the City of Philadelphia by touching the lives of so many in their community.

September 27, 2007, Jim and Dianne Murray received the distinction of being named by Archbishop Sean Brady, Honorees of the Year 2007 by Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth (Ireland).

April 22, 2009, he was the recipient of the 2009 Judge Lois G. Forer Child Advocacy Award given by the Support Center for Child Advocates (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

April 16, 2010, he was the recipient of the 2010 Globe & Anchor Award from the United States Marine Corps Scholarship Fund (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

May 4, 2011, he was the inaugural recipient of the Frankie Award given by Frankie’s World Foundation (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), a nonprofit charitable organization created to enrich the lives of young children with special medical needs.

July 27, 2012, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia, PA) awarded him a doctor of humane letters, honoris causa.

January 11, 2013, Comcast SportsNet awarded him the Shining Star Lifetime Achievement Award benefitting the March of Dimes (Philadelphia, PA).

January 27, 2014, he was the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association recipient of the Ed Snider Lifetime Distinguished Humanitarian Award (Philadelphia, PA).

March 16, 2014, he was the Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Philadelphia, PA).

April 4, 2019, Jim & Dianne Murray were inducted into the Delaware County Catholic Schools Hall of Fame (Delaware County, PA).

Murray and his wife, Dianne, have five children and five grandchildren. The Murrays reside in Rosemont, PA. He has recently published an account of his life growing up in Philly entitled "Life Is an Audible."

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com