Persona

Murray, James Athol, 1892-1975

James Athol Murray (often referred to as Pere Murray) was born January 9, 1892. He attended Laval University studying law and worked for the Toronto World and the Toronto Star as a journalist. Neither his law career nor journalism satisfied and Athol Murray later entered St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto and was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 1918. He was posted to Regina in 1922. While helping Archbishop Mathieu in Regina he formed an athletic club for boys known as the Argos. Upon his appointment to St. Augustine's Parish in Wilcox, Saskatchewan in 1927 Athol Murray began the high school program at the residential elementary school founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. He succeeded in obtaining an official affiliation with the University of Ottawa in 1933 for the school's Arts program, and continuted to promote participation in sports. Athol Murray remained as administrator and teacher of the Arts Program at the school, now known as Notre Dame College, until his death at the age of 83 on December 15, 1975. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1968 by Governer General Mitchener and became Msgr. In the Catholic Church in 1969. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1968 and into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category posthumously in 1998.