James L. Murray papers, 1937-1998

James L. Murray (1919- ) was an American air force officer, aerospace engineer, and aerospace industry executive during the twentieth century. Educated at North Carolina State University, Murray was commissioned as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps (later renamed U.S. Army Air Forces) in 1941. During World War II, he served as a flight instructor and as Chief of Maintenance at Maxwell Field, Alabama. Murray continued his military career after the war, serving as an engineer and test pilot at Moffett Field, California (1945-1947), as a liaison officer at the U.S. Air Material Command (1945-1948), as Chief of Special Projects Branch at Wright Aeronautical Center, and Chief of Engineering Division at U.S. Air Force Europe Headquarters at Wiesbaden, West Germany (1952-1954). After resigning from the U.S. Air Force in 1954, Murray became an executive in the aerospace industry and held positions at a number of aerospace firms between the 1950s and 1980s, including Republic Aviation Corporation (1957-1962), Douglas Aircraft Company (1962-1965), Continental Aviation & Engineering Corporation (1966-1970), and Teledyne CAE (1970-1985). After leaving the aerospace industry in 1985, he served as Chairman of the Board at ADDSCO Industries (1985-1988). Murray was also a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and served as its chairman of its Force Policy Committee (1971-1975).