Kermit McMurry

Come Jan. 18, 2004, it will have been 40 years since Kermit McMurry set the school record with 30 rebounds against Northeastern Oklahoma College. Set to enter the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in February 2004, McMurry still has fond memories of his time at Arkansas City Junior College.

In the game verses Northeastern, McMurry also finished with 31 points in the 121-91 victory. However, his 30 rebounds are the statistic most remembered from that game.

"I would assume that record had been broken by now," McMurry said. "That was an incredible night, it was one of those nights where I was in a zone."

McMurry had several nights like that during his two years at the school as he still ranks in the top 10 of four different categories.

His 38 points against Northeastern on Dec. 8, 1964, ranks 10th in the Tigers' single-game scoring records. That same season, he finished with 622 points, which is still the seventh most points scored in a single season at Cowley.

If it were not for injuries McMurry suffered during his sophomore season, he would have made a run at season (723 points) and career (1,323) totals set six years earlier by his former coach Del Heidebrecht. McMurry is currently 10th on the Tigers' career scoring list with 987 points.

Among all of his basketball accomplishments, McMurry considers being named the team's Most Inspirational Player of the Year during the 1964-65 season to be his most treasured.

"That award means a lot to me, considering it came from my teammates," McMurry said.

Despite his accomplishments on the basketball court, McMurry was surprised to learn he would be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 7.

"I was shocked because it is an enormous honor to bestow on anyone," McMurry said. "To be considered among the best sends an enormous message that I did something right."

Prior to coming to Arkansas City, McMurry starred at Central High School in Kansas City, Mo. However, it wasn't until he got to Cowley that he realized the direction that he wanted to take as he went on to achieve greatness in the classroom as well as on the court.

"My years spent at Cowley helped catapult me and provide a foundation to get me to where I am right now," McMurry said. "The quality faculty and support staff at the school helped the students to be successful."

After his time in Arkansas City, McMurry accepted an athletic scholarship to play basketball at the University of Colorado. Colorado was the premier school in the Big Eight Conference for McMurry's academic interests. While finishing his bachelor's degree in education, McMurry was a two-year starter for the Buffaloes. In 1968, McMurry was named an All-Big Eight performer.

McMurry was offered a graduate assistant scholarship to work on his master's degree while serving as an assistant basketball coach. His master's is in education.

While education was opening doors for him, McMurry always thought he wanted to become a head basketball coach. He left Boulder in 1970 for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he worked in the division of student affairs and helped the late Joe Cipriano recruit for his men's basketball team. Still not satisfied with the amount of education he had, McMurry began pursuit of a doctorate for $1 per semester.

"I took advantage of it and before I knew it, I was far down the road to earning a Ph.D.," McMurry said.

After earning his doctorate in higher education administration from UNL in 1975, McMurry embarked on careers with two Nebraska governors and Grambling State University in Louisiana.

He worked for former Nebraska Gov. J. James Exon as head of the coordinating commission for post-secondary education. He then served nine years as executive vice president of Grambling. Then it was back to Nebraska to head up Gov. Kay Orr's higher education policy cabinet. McMurry organized the governor's position on matters related to higher education.

And it was a connection on Orr's staff that led McMurry to his current job, associate vice chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

McMurry conducts systemwide program reviews for the Regents, which is the coordinating board of control for 25 colleges and universities in Oklahoma.

McMurry credits Cowley for helping him get to where he is today.

"Cowley taught me an enormous amount about discipline and helped me mature as a man," McMurry said. "Those values have helped me in numerous ways."

Along with being named Cowley's Most Inspirational Player, McMurry was given the Most Improved Player award during the 1968 season at Colorado.

McMurry has been honored with numerous other awards. In 1971, he earned the Outstanding Young Men of America award presented by the Jaycees. In 1975, he was named to Who's Who Among Black Americans. And in 1977, he was presented the Pioneer Coordinating Award for Multi-Institutional Planning from UNL. Others include a community service award from Mutual of Omaha in 1989, and the United States President citation for Innovation and Leadership in 1988. In 2001, McMurry received a Quality Recognition Award from the Oklahoma Department of Human Resources. In 2002, he received the governor's commendation for his public service.

Despite his numerous accolades, McMurry believes being inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame ranks near the top of any of his accomplishments.

"I'm very excited about that February date," McMurry said. "I will be there with bells on."