Archives West Finding Aid

Don Murray was born in Walla Walla, Washington in 1920. He received his degree in architecture from Washington State University (WSU) in 1942. He served in the Navy during World War II, where he received a Silver Star for action in underwater demolition as a frogman. After the war, Murray returned to Spokane and from 1946 to 1957 he worked for the architecture firm of Funk, Molander & Johnson. In 1957, he became a partner and the firm changed its name to Funk, Murray & Johnson. In 1974, he founded his own firm, Don Murray & Associates. Don Murray designed buildings for the Catholic Church, WSU, Gonzaga University, IBM, the federal government, and many others. He was prominent in the mid-century modern architecture movement in the Pacific Northwest and The Don Murray house in Spokane is considered a classic in the Shed style. He was also a prominent member of the Riverfront Development Master Planning Committee in Spokane. Don Murray retired in 1982 and devoted himself to photography. He died in Spokane in 2004.