OSU to Accept Donations for Ray Murphy Fund at Bedlam

During the Nov. 27 game against Oklahoma, the Cowboys will pass a bucket to raise funds for the Ray Murphy Endowed Scholarship.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:02 pm

By: News On 6

OSU to Accept Donations for Ray Murphy Fund at Bedlam

Originally Published: Nov 16, 2010 12:12 PM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff

STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Oklahoma State University announced Tuesday that a bucket will be passed throughout Boone Pickens Stadium during the Bedlam game to raise money for the Ray Murphy Endowed Scholarship.

Murphy walked on to the OSU wrestling team in the 1960s and captained the 1968 national championship team. He was an honor student as well as a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, which is partnering with the athletic department to pass the bucket at the Nov. 27 game between OSU and Oklahoma.

Murphy competed in an East-West All-Star match in 1970, when he was thrown to the mat in an illegal hold and landed on his head. The injury paralyzed him from the neck down, and Murphy passed away on July 20 at the age of 63. He was the longest living quadriplegic known to medical science.

“There were three things that prolonged Ray’s life – his faith, his friends and his love for OSU,” said Jim Blazer, a fraternity brother and head of the Ray Murphy Fund. “Ray lived for all things OSU and he loved the university more than anything. He would listen to the radio if a game wasn’t on TV or he’d go online and read about academics, sports, new facilities, everything. He would read articles in the newspaper. That’s what Ray lived for.”

After Murphy’s death, OSU athletics decided to endow a scholarship in his name.

“Our goal is to reach $250,000,” said Dave Martin, senior associate athletic director. “It’s the least we can do to honor such an amazing guy with an incredible will to live. He is such an inspiration to others.”

The Ray Murphy Fund is expected to qualify for the Pickens Legacy Scholarship Match, which provides a one-and-a-half-times match. That means that reaching the goal of $250,000 would result in the fund actually being worth $625,000 once fully endowed.

“T. Boone Pickens was a very active donor to the Ray Murphy Fund when Ray was still alive,” Blazer said. “He has a heart bigger than what people realize. It’s people like him and Ray Murphy who show so much compassion for OSU that truly inspires others.”

The endowed scholarship will be awarded to wrestlers who exemplify Murphy’s excellence in academics, positive attitude and passion for Oklahoma State.

“My only hope is that we give this scholarship to someone who has a heart for putting others before himself,” Blazer said. “He must first be a student, then an athlete just like Ray. I hope that we will be able to impact a student’s life, just like Ray impacted mine and several others.”

Direct donations to the fund are accepted at the OSU Foundation. Checks are payable to the OSU Foundation and note the donation is for the Ray Murphy Endowed Scholarship.