In Memoriam: Dr. David Murray, ACS Past-President

“When you were with David Murray, you just knew you were in the presence of a great man.” That’s how ACS Past-President Patricia J. Numann, MD, FACS, describes David G. Murray, MD, FACS, who passed away October 1 at the age of 94.

A renowned orthopaedic surgeon and distinguished surgeon-scientist, Dr. Murray was an ACS Fellow for 58 years and a Regent and Officer for more than 10 years, culminating with his service as the 77th ACS President (1996-1997). He retired from clinical service at the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center in Syracuse in 2001.

“He was one of my favorite people,” Dr. Numann said. “I will miss his wisdom and even-tempered demeanor. He was always very thoughtful when facing challenging situations and led by having the respect of others and valuing their input. In all ways, David was honorable.”

Born in Ames, Iowa, Dr. Murray—as a young boy—loved building things with his hands, working on his family farm, and tagging along with his grandfather, who was the local physician. He eventually decided to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

After earning his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1955, Dr. Murray completed a surgical internship at Vancouver General Hospital. He went on to serve as a lieutenant in the US Navy, participating in Operation Deep Freeze II in the Antarctic. Dr. Murray resumed general surgery training at SUNY Upstate, followed by an orthopaedic residency at The University of Iowa in Iowa City.

In 1962, he returned to SUNY Upstate, and just 4 years later, he was named chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery—a position he held for 30+ years before retiring. When he became chair, he was one of the youngest orthopaedic chairs in the country, and he went on to train more than 120 orthopaedic surgeons, as well as many other physicians and support staff during his tenure.

Considered an “enlightened” man, Dr. Murray was one of the first surgeon leaders to accept women into his training program and onto his faculty.

“I met David Murray in 1963 when I was a third-year medical student. The division had just become a department, and he offered me an orthopaedic residency,” said Dr. Numann. “At that time, women had their applications for surgery returned. Dr. Murray was an enlightened man who defended the equality of women and advocated for us before that was even thought of.”

Dr. Murray also was a distinguished surgeon-scientist, recognized for his research on general bone physiology, the use of electrical current to promote bone remodeling and healing, respiratory insufficiencies resulting from fat embolism during surgery, and total joint replacement procedures. In fact, Dr. Murray—revered as a talented technical orthopaedic surgeon and one of the first joint replacement surgeons—designed, developed, and patented the variable-axis knee prosthesis. It often is referred to as the “Syracuse knee” and laid the groundwork for replacement knee designs in use today.

At SUNY Upstate, the David G. Murray, MD, Endowed Professorship in Orthopedic Surgery was established to ensure continued research related to musculoskeletal cancer. Dr. Murray also worked tirelessly with local officials and hospital leaders to design, build, and finance the SUNY Upstate Institute for Human Performance.

Following his retirement, Dr. Murray ran a small clock repair business—Doc’s Clocks—out of a workshop adjacent to his home in Syracuse. He repaired approximately 50 to 70 clocks each year, providing his services to the owners of all types of clocks—mantel, anniversary, cuckoo, and grandfather clocks. He also returned to his farming roots when his son, Bruce, purchased land on Seneca Lake in New York, and together they created the vineyard, Boundary Breaks Wine in Lodi, New York.

Dr. Murray is survived by his wife Judith Sayles, three sons, Christopher, Bruce, and James, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.