JIM MURRAY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION NAMES 

2010 JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Students from Montana, ASU, Ohio University-Athens, UCLA and Trinity College 

to receive $5000 each

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 16, 2010) --The Jim Murray Memorial Foundation’s (JMMF) 2010 Murray Scholars have been selected as the result of a nationwide essay competition.  The 2010 scholarship winners are Tyson Alger, University of Montana, Eric Smith, Arizona State University, Michael Stainbrook, Ohio University-Athens, Samuel Sukaton, UCLA, and Cristina Conti, Trinity College-Hartford (Jim Murray’s alma mater.) 

Each Murray Scholar receives a $5,000 journalism scholarship based on second and third year print journalism student eligibility and a written essay.  A panel of nationally recognized sports journalists was selected to judge the winning essays.  This marks the 11th year the JMMF has awarded scholarships in the name of the Puliltzer Prize winning sportswriter.  To date the JMMF has awarded almost $400,000 in scholarship money to journalism students at 27 different colleges and universities.

Linda McCoy-Murray, president and founder of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation said, “As the cost of education skyrockets, our mission to offer scholarships to the crème of the crop at prestigious journalism schools in the nation is most important. With each $5,000 awarded to a total 73 Murray Scholars since year 2000, we take pride in the inspiration given to these young journalists for a higher standard in their writing and journalistic integrity, especially in this new age of electronic media.” 

Previous notable winners of the JMMF scholarship include ESPN.com columnist, Arash Markazi and Associated Press writer, Ryan Pearson.

The 2010 judges were Vic Carucci, NFL.com, Larry Dorman, New York Times, Ron Green Jr, Charlotte Observer, Mike James, Los Angeles Times and Vicki Michaelis, USA Today.

McCoy-Murray established the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation to perpetuate her late husband's memory and his love and dedication to his extraordinary career in journalism.  Murray, who died August 16, 1998, began his illustrious career at the New Haven [Conn.] Register after graduating Trinity College [Class of '43], Hartford, Conn.  After a stint at the now extinct Los Angeles Examiner, he joined Time & Life [now Time, Inc.] In 1954, while Hollywood cinema correspondent for Time magazine, Murray became one the founders of Sports Illustrated.  Joining the Los Angeles Times in 1961, Murray won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1990, and won the National Sportswriter of the Year Award 14 times.  Murray's outstanding work landed him a spot in the writers' wing in Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Grants from the McCormick Foundation, St. Louis Rams, NFL Charities, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Linda McCoy-Murray, and private donations provided this year’s scholarships.

For more information on the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, please visit the JMMF website: www.jimmurrayfoundation.org, email: info@jimmurrayfoundation.org, or call 760-771-8972.