50 YEARS OF CARING

by Jen Wingerter ’13

When you sit down to talk to JERRY MURPHY '70, M.S., the conversation quickly moves to the good work others are doing. He wants you to know their stories. He can’t help but celebrate their success, especially in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. His enthusiasm and care for others have kept him connected to his alma mater for over 50 years. Murphy ventured onto campus in 1966, a young freshman. Soccer led him to Quincy College (now QU), but he chose it for other reasons as well. Growing up in St. Louis, Murphy had many college choices without leaving his hometown. But with the encouragement of his high school mentor, Murphy looked for a college away from home. Going away to college provided the opportunity to mature in a good and safe environment. And he is so grateful he chose QU. Murphy met his wife Mary Jo, and many lifelong friends during his four years on campus. In 2016, this group of friends returned to campus for Homecoming and to celebrate 50 years of friendship that started with their freshman year at Quincy College.

For the past ten years, Jerry Murphy has served alongside many of his 1970 era QU classmates to organize the QU & You Chicago Golf Outing fundraiser.

Murphy's bond with QU goes beyond the things he learned in the classroom, and the relationships formed while he was on campus. The one thing that firmly bonds him to QU is the Franciscan values he adopted and wove throughout his life.

Murphy applied these values to his 40-year career in the private sector of higher education, serving in nearly all phases of school operations, including, dean of students, campus president, regional vice president, vice president operations, and vice president student affairs and alumni relations. His career included extensive work in national and regional accreditation, including serving as a commissioner and vice-chair of the ACCSC national commission. After he retired, he worked as a consultant with engagements that include work in the Middle East and South Africa, a capstone to a long and successful career.

Murphy is a current trustee and past board chair at QU. He brings the Franciscan values and his vast experience in higher education with him to every board meeting. As the board guides the university through the challenges of COVID-19, he is confident the university is on good footing.

"The university’s leadership, our excellent students, and the dedicated faculty created a very safe environment for everyone, this summer,” said Murphy. “Building on the summer experience, the university has an excellent plan for this fall that has the full support of the Board of Trustees and the Quincy community.”

Murphy has led by example, giving back to the university community as a committed donor, alumnus, and trustee. He has served as the QU Fund Co-Chair, as an organizer of the QU and You Golf Tournament, as well as faithfully attending and hosting alumni events. “I’ve learned to be in the moment, to take as much as you can from what's happening around you, and make it a part of your education,” said Murphy. “As we begin again, as a nation and a university, we need to remember the incredible acts of service made for each other. May we learn from that, apply it to the future by giving back to those who helped and paying forward to those in need.”

Respecting all life is a cornerstone for Jerry and has shaped how Mary Jo and he raised their four children, maintained friendships, served his Alma Mater, and managed his career. It is why he sits on the Board of Trustees. It is what generates the excitement he feels as he watches the graduating class walk across the stage. He knows the good work the university is doing and that the Franciscan values that he experienced on campus fifty years ago are alive and well today.

“Let us begin again,” a quote of St. Francis of Assisi is one of Murphy’s favorites and pertinent to the times. As the country recovers and adjusts to the impact of COVID-19, he believes now more than ever the critical thinking skills and Franciscan values learned from QU will make alumni stand out.