McMurrin, Sterling M.

Sterling Moss McMurrin (1914-1996), author, scholar and educational administrator, served as U. S. Commissioner of Education under President John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1962. While at the University of Utah he was academic vice-president, dean of the graduate school, and a professor of philosophy and history.

Sterling Moss McMurrin (1914-1996) was born 12 January 1914, in Woods Cross, Utah. During childhood and early years in college, McMurrin lived and worked on the cattle and sheep ranches of the Deseret Livestock Company. He completed undergraduate work at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Utah. He received the B.A. degree in history and political science in 1936 and the M.A. degree in philosophy in 1937 at the University of Utah. His Ph.D. in philosophy was awarded in 1946 by the University of Southern California. McMurrin pursued postdoctoral studies in philosophy at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, where he was Visiting Scholar, and at Princeton University, where he was Ford Fellow in Philosophy. After receiving the M.A. in philosophy, McMurrin taught for seven years in the institute program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In 1945 he was appointed to the faculty of the School of Philosophy of the University of Southern California. Three years later he left California to become Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. At the University of Utah he served as Dean of the College of Letters and Science, Academic Vice President, Provost, Dean of the Graduate School, and University Marshal. He was also appointed E. E. Ericksen Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Professor of History, Professor of the Philosophy of Education, and E. E. Ericksen Distinguished Professor. In the administration of President John F. Kennedy, McMurrin served as United States Commissioner of Education, as well as a member of the Board of Foreign Scholarships, National Culture Center Board, and the National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He was appointed to U.S. delegations to international conferences on education and cultural affairs in Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Santiago, Geneva, and Washington. He served the Department of State as an adviser to the University of Tehran on faculty and student affairs in 1958-1959, chaired the Federal Commission on Instructional Technology, and chaired two regional manpower commissions for the Department of Labor. McMurrin also gave long service in nongovernment positions relating to education, including Trustee of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; consultant and project director for educational studies of the Committee for Economic Development; member of the Graduate Record Examination Board, the Higher Commission of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and several inter-university commissions; member of the Board of the Agency for Instructional Television, the Board of Fellowships and Associateships of the National Research Council, Advisory Council to the National Humanities Institute of Yale University, Trustee of the American University of Rome, adviser to the Department of Philosophy of Princeton University; member of the Board of Directors of the International Baccalaureate, National Advisory Council of Hampshire College, and the Committee on Federal Legislation of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. McMurrin authored, edited, and contributed to hundreds of published monographs, journal articles, and reviews on philosophy, education, and religion, including: Contemporary Philosophy (1954); A History of Philosophy (1955); The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion ; The Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology ; Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology ; Matters of Conscience: Conversations with Sterling McMurrin on Philosophy, Education, and Religion ; The Genius of the Culture ; Toward Understanding the New Testament ; Religion, Reason, and Truth: Historical Essays in the Philosophy of Religion ; The Cultural Values of Utah and the Future of the University ; Functional Education for Disadvantaged Youth ; The Conditions for Educational Equality ; Resources for Urban Schools: Better Use and Balance ; Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion ; Reason, Freedom, and the Individual ; The Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology ; and A History of Philosophy . In 1984 he was the first to receive the Rosenblatt Award. He married Natalie Cotterel in 1938 and they had 5 children. He died on 6 April 1996 in St. George, Utah.

1948, Professor/Dept. of Philosophy; 1954, Dean of University College (later College of Letters and Sciences); 1960, Academic V.P.; 1961, U.S. Commissioner of Education.; 1962, Professor of Philosophy; 1965, Dean of College of Letters and Sciences; 1966, Dean of the Graduate School; 1970, History Dept. faculty.

Dr. Sterling M. McMurrin (1914-1996), was a nationally recognized educator, administrator, and philosopher. He was a Professor of Philosophy and History at the University of Utah in 1948; Academic Vice President, 1960-1961; Provost, 1965-1966; and Dean of Graduate School, University of Utah, 1966-1979. Dr. McMurrin also held many National positions as well, including United States Commissioner of Education, 1961-1962; and Chairman of the Commission on Instructional Technology, 1968-1970.