Marist College president Murray announces retirement

Dennis Murray, the longtime and influential president of Marist College, will retire when his contract expires next year, the college announced Saturday.

His retirement will be effective June 30, 2016. He will remain active in the college's affairs as President Emeritus and as a professor of public policy.

"For the past 36 years, it has been my honor and privilege to serve as president, and during that time we have been able to accomplish extraordinary things," Murray wrote in a message to the Marist community. "The college today is a strong institution with exciting plans for the future, and for that reason, it seems like a logical time for new leadership."

Since becoming president in 1979, Murray has overseen significant growth and transformation at the private, liberal arts college.

• Total assets increased from $22 million to $576 million during his tenure.

• Endowment increased from $500,000 to $221 million.

• Enrollment increased from 1,842 to 6,365 students, even as the acceptance rate became more selective.

• In 2014, just 38.5 percent of more than 9,700 applicants gained entrance to Marist, compared with 78 percent of 1,624 applicants in 1980.

• The campus has been reshaped under his leadership, growing from 93 to 224 acres.

• Athletic teams moved from the National Collegiate Athletic Association's second division to Division I status, and added nine new teams.

In a statement, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro praised Murray for a commitment to excellence that "extends into every corner of our community."

"An academic, economic and community leader, Dennis Murray's impact will be long lasting and Dutchess County is exceptionally grateful," Molinaro said. "I look forward to our continued work together."

Steve Saland, the former state senator from Poughkeepsie, said the institution's transformation has been profound.

"I remember Marist College when I was a kid in high school," said Saland, who graduated from Poughkeepsie High School in 1961. "If anybody would have told me then, that Marist College would become the highly respected institution that it is now, and that the campus would be this breathtakingly beautiful campus it is now, I would have asked them what they were smoking or drinking."

Murray's scope of influence extends far beyond the college's campus set along the banks of the Hudson River.

A leading voice among policymakers, Murray has served as co-chair of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, one of 10 regional councils created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2011.

In his message, Murray expressed his gratitude to the college and local communities for being part of the Marist's growth.

He said that while there will come a time to reflect on the institution's achievements, his attention over the next year and a half will remain focused on the work at hand.

That work includes construction of a new science and allied health building and development of a new physician assistant program, as well as a major new student housing project.

John Ferro: 845-437-4816; jferro@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @PoJoEnviro