VIDEO: President Dennis Murray leaves his mark on Marist College

Dennis Murray has left his mark on Marist College.

It's bigger. It's better. And it's not broke.

Back when he was deciding whether to take the college presidency in 1979, "I was wondering whether to come," he said. He had gotten a look at the college's financials. They were dismal.

"The college was nearly bankrupt," he said, "very short of cash."

The incumbent president was Linus Richard Foy, who was retiring and would be the last of the Marist brothers to run the school.

Murray recalled Foy saying he was "worried whether he would be able to make payroll."

Murray was introduced to Jack McEnroe, who headed Dutchess Bank & Trust Co. and was a Marist trustee. "He promised us a line of credit for several years to tide us over," Murray said.

So he took that job. And he stepped into the evolution of this institution's history, and has driven it ever since.

Marist was born as a project of the Marist Brothers, a Catholic teaching order. They first bought property here in 1905 to live and chartered the Marist Normal Training School in 1929 to offer college-level courses. The original mission was training of brothers in the order. A four-year college charter from the state came in 1946 and the name was changed to Marian College. In 1960, the name Marist College was adopted, as the school broadened its mission to include the wider community.

Ownership was transferred in 1969 to the Marist College Educational Corp. with an independent board of trustees, making it an independent liberal arts college.

That's the old history. Most of the modern history of Marist, however, has been written under the direction of Dennis Murray.

So, as Murray plays out the last year of his tenure before retiring in June 2016, ending what will be a 37-year run, he is named winner of the Business Excellence Grand Award by the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp.

Business? Yes, said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

"He has not only really transformed Marist College as an institution, as an employer and as contributor to Dutchess County, but he has been able to help transform the economy of the mid-Hudson Valley, and that is deserving of this recognition."

He plans to remain a local resident and will be known as "president emeritus" so he can continue to help.

During Murray's time, Marist has grown.

Enrollments have grown from 1,842 to 6,365, a 245 percent growth.

Applications have increased seven-fold and selectivity has risen, with only 38.5 percent of 9,571 applicants accepted in 2014.

The Town of Poughkeepsie campus has expanded from 93 acres to 224 acres.

There have been 56 new buildings and 24 major renovations.

Jobs rose from 350 to 1,324.

And far from broke, it has had balanced budgets for 37 years and increased total assets from $22 million to $576 million.

Murray has been in the news lately for another reason, which is his co-chairmanship of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, a volunteer panel that reviews and recommends job-creating projects that are pitched to the state for potential funding. The state, since the beginning of this program, has allocated $235.2 million to the region, most recently in 2014, a total of $82.8 million for 112 projects.

"He was there every step of the way, contributing not only himself but also his staff resources to that effort," said Ron Hicks, Dutchess' deputy commissioner for strategic planning and economic development.

He said Murray puts the same intensity into his Marist job, even showing up for many college events including sports matches.

Among points of pride for Murray during his time at the college are a complete reorientation of the campus so that it feels like a campus, with green quads where parking lots used to be.

"We re-oriented the campus toward the river," he said. The Hudson is visible from several key vantage points. Also, the campus now stretches to the east side of Route 9 where it continues to expand. And with the state Department of Transportation's building of a pedestrian underpass, students and staff can safely cross the busy highway and pose less of a problem for drivers.

Academic expansion has been ongoing. "The progress has taken place in virtually every aspect of the institution," Murray said. For example, when it comes to students, "We've become much more selective." And at the same time, broader. What was once a draw from just three states has grown to practically all as well as from foreign nations.

Murray and his wife, Marilyn, will remain active in the community and he will be available.

"I'll only advise my successor if asked," he said. And, it's a good time to go, he believes. Marist is now at a high point, Murray said. He wants to avoid the fate of those who hang on when they should move on.

"They stay a little too long and things start to slip," he said, "and then they have to be nudged out."

Murray does not, however, seem worn out. He has a forward-looking eye, and offers that the road ahead looks like one that poses new challenges, but perhaps not the fiscal ones he tackled 36 years ago.

"The environment's going to change over the next decade," Murray said. He observes, "Technology really has changed the entire business model. I do believe it is starting to happen to higher education." For example, there's software for courses.

Another emerging issue is that parents sacrifice much to put their progeny through college, even as college becomes ever more expensive and competitive when it comes to student admissions.

Murray mused, "There's going to be challenges out there."

They won't be his to shoulder. But it's a good bet Dennis Murray will be there on the sidelines, cheering on Team Marist.

Craig Wolf: 845-437-4815; cwolf@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @craigwolfPJ

If you go

What: Dutchess County Economic Development Corp. Business Excellence Awards

Where: The Grandview, 176 Rinaldi Blvd.

When: 5:30-8:30 p.m., Oct. 29

Tickets: $135 per person; $1,200 per table of 10. Reservations are required

About the series

The Dutchess County Economic Development Corp.'s panel solicited nominations from the community and convened a panel to select winners in seven categories for its Business Excellence Awards. Each is being profiled in the Poughkeepsie Journal. Read them at http://pojonews.co/bizexcel

The winners are:

Entrepreneur: Gus Serroukas

Small Business: Tinkelman Architecture

Agri-business: Sabellicos Greenhouses and Florist

Manufacturing: Nerak Systems Inc.

Nonprofit: Bardavon 1869 Opera House

Investor/Developer: Ken Kearney

Grand Award: Dennis Murray, Marist College.