January 27, 2022
Mimi Murray, PhD, is a true legend.
From her own extraordinary undergraduate career, to her record-breaking years as a highly respected faculty member, to her impactful coaching–and let’s not forget her snazzy car and impeccable style–Murray is nothing short of an idol on Alden Street. But, her influence extends far beyond the campus, as we recently were reminded with the release of Murray’s first-ever podcast. She was featured on Scaling the Summit, a podcast showcasing “candid conversations with movers and shakers within the physical and health literacy fields.” And, certainly, Murray, fits the bill. Her accomplishments, impressive; her glass-ceiling shattering, resounding. Mimi Murray is an esteemed and valued leader at Springfield College, nationally, and internationally.
With a tenure of 52 years, professor emeritus Murray is the longest-standing faculty member in Springfield College history. She enjoys a national and international reputation in the fields of physical education and athletics, having served as president for the International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport, and Dance (ICHPER-SD); the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD); and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). Dr. Murray also served as vice president for the U.S. Collegiate Sports Council.
The Women’s Sports Foundation named her one of the five Pioneers in Women’s Athletics. During the efforts to secure passage of the landmark Title IX legislation, Dr. Murray was a prime mover. She is the former national gymnastics coach of the year, has been a gymnastics commentator on ABC-TV’s Wide World of Sports and NBC’s Sportsworld, and has provided expertise on the subject of abusive coaches on NBC’s The Jane Pauley Show. While coaching women’s gymnastics at Springfield College, her teams were undefeated in dual meet competition and won three Division I national championships.
Dr. Murray coached the USA Gymnastics Team for the World University Games, and has served as a sport psychology consultant to the USA Olympic Field Hockey Team, the USA Olympic Equestrian Team, as well as professional, collegiate, and high school athletes and coaches too numerous to mention. She has also been honored as Ethics Fellow of the International Institute for the Study of Sport, with the Luther Halsey Gulick Award from AAHPERD, the R. Tait McKenzie Award, and honor awards from AAHPERD, ICHPER-DS, and NAGWS. She was inducted into the inaugural class of the New Agenda: Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame, and is an inductee in the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame. If that isn’t enough, she also is the 2017 recipient of the Springfield College President’s Humanics Achievement Award.
This is just a fragment of the amazing accomplishments and accolades that comprise the storied career of Mimi Murray. Listen to her describe her work and passion in her own words in Scaling the Summits latest episode.
Listen to Dr. Murray on Scaling the Summit, S2 E20,
hosted by Charity Bryan and Sandra Sims.
