[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF JOHN J. MURRAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 1998

  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of personal 
gratification that I pay tribute to the major accomplishments over the 
past six decades of an individual who not only dedicated his military 
career to serving and honoring our country, but also continued that 
service in his leadership positions at Raytheon--formerly E--Systems. 
On 29 May 1998, Mr. John J. Murray will retire from Raytheon Systems 
Company in Greenville, TX, with 31 years of dedicated service on 
programs that contributed to the strength of our national defense and 
commercial welfare.
  Mr. Murray was born on January 6, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. He 
attended school there and graduated in 1939. In 1957, he received a 
Bachelor of Science in Political Science from St. Joseph's College in 
Pennsylvania while teaching ROTC. That same year he graduated from the 
United States Air Force Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force 
Base, Alabama. Mr. Murray retired from the United Staes Air Force in 
1967. He continued his education in 1977 by earning his Master's of 
Business Administration at the University of Dallas in Texas.
  Mr. Murray served 24 years as an officer in the Air Force, retiring 
as a Lieutenant Colonel and Combat Rated Pilot with more than 5,000 
flying hours. His military career earned him the Air Medal with two oak 
leaf clusters and numerous other military service medals. During his 
Air Force Career, he served in a variety of operational and staff 
positions. In some of his early military assignments, between 1944 and 
1960, he served in several operational and administrative positions and 
became qualified in 20 different aircraft.
  Mr. Murray started his career flying ``The Hump'' in the China-Burma 
theater of WW II in C-47 aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He then 
signed on as a Base Legal Officer at Mitchell Field, New York and tried 
about 400 cases. Mr. Murray served as Commander of a Tactical 
Reconnaissance Squadron from 1960 until 1964. From 1064 through 1967, 
he was assigned as Operational Plans Officer, Headquarters North 
American Air Defense Command. In this capacity, he was specifically 
responsible for planning the systems requirements, operational 
employment concepts, and force levels, as well as performing 
operational analyses of the Improved Manned Interceptor and Airborne 
Warning and Control System Programs. Mr. Murray continues to be a 
member of the Air Force Association and has been a member of the 
Greenville Flying club for many years.
  Mr. Murray began his remarkable career with Raytheon System Company--
Greenville, then known as LTV Electro Systems, in 1967. His extensive 
31 years of experience at Raytheon Systems Company--Greenville has 
included a wide variety of program management positions. From 1968 to 
1973, he was Program Manager for the Airborne Surveillance and Control 
System on the EC-121T aircraft. He was assigned special duties during 
1973 that involved detailed preparation of the operations and logistics 
plan for the Sinai Field Mission Program. From 1973 to 1978, he was the 
Integrated Logistics Support Program Manager for the E-4A modification 
effort. From 1978 to 1980, he served as the Program Manager for the 
4950th Test Wing Class II Modification Services Program.

  Mr. Murray's management positions ranged from very high technologies 
with the Advanced Research Project Agency, where he successfully 
managed the Multitude Chip Module Program and the Applied Specific 
Electronic Module Program during the 1990 to 1995 time frame, to very 
large and complex aircraft programs during the 1980s. His management 
experience has also included service as the Material Program Manager 
for the E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post Program. For 19 of those 
years, Mr. Murray was honored by being appointed consecutively to serve 
as chairman of the Employees' Political Action Committee (PAC). The 
Greenville PAC was organized in September 1976, with a mission to 
encourage Greenville employees to be better informed on federal, state, 
and local policies and action and, intensify the employees' and 
company's networking effort with elected representatives. During this 
19-year chairman position, he inspired continued communications among 
members of our U.S. Congress, the PAC, and the population of Hunt 
County, Texas by hosting informative political forums at Greenville.
  On election years, people running for local, state, and national 
elected positions were invited to speak giving the employees a first 
hand knowledge of each candidate's opinions. Those elected were invited 
back to brief PAC members of events in their respective jurisdictions. 
Some of the special guests over the past 19 years include: Governors 
Bill Clements and George W. Bush; U.S. Senators Lloyd Bentsen, Phil 
Gramm, Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Tower; U.S. Representatives Dick 
Armey, Joe Barton, Jim Chapman, Sam Hall, Sam Johnson, Max Sandlin, and 
myself. Mr. Murray has briefed influential people in Washington on 
Raytheon Systems Company--Greenville programs and shaped funding for 
many of the national security aircraft. He represented the interest of 
Greenville employees, the company, and the American free enterprise 
system.
  Mr. Murray's career at Raytheon has been one of ``can do'' and ``team 
spirit.'' He has been a leader, encourager, friend to all, and an 
anchor in times of difficulty. He has always been ready to contribute 
in whatever capacity was needed and his range of experience has been a 
benefit to many younger employees. Mr. Murray is a native of New York 
as is his wife, the former Terry Casey. They moved to Texas in 1967 and 
are 31-year residents of Greenville, Texas. They have three children: 
two daughters, Laura Murray and Nancy Feuille; and one son Bill Murray. 
They also have six grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, when we adjourn today's session--let us do so in honor 
and respect for this great American.




                          ____________________