Murray was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, attended the
U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1911, his classmates included
Morton Deyo,
Harry W. Hill,
Frank J. Lowry,
John W. Reeves, and
Frederick Riefkohl. He became
Naval Aviator number 22 in 1915. At the beginning of 1924, he was the commander of Torpedo and Bombing Squadron 20 (VT-20). In January, his squadron of seaplanes was transferred from San Diego to the Philippines aboard to provide air support for the
Asiatic Fleet. During
World War II, Murray commanded the aircraft carrier , from 21 March 1941 to 30 June 1942, which included the
Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and the
Battle of Midway. From 17 August 1944 to 20 July 1945, he commanded
U.S. Naval Air Forces, Pacific Fleet. At the end of the war, Murray was the commander of the
Mariana Islands, and accepted the Japanese surrender of the
Caroline Islands aboard his flagship, the cruiser . He commanded the
First Fleet from August 1947 to August 1948. He retired as a full admiral in 1951, died in
San Francisco, California, on 18 June 1956, and was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery. In 1961, Murray was posthumously designated the third recipient of the
Gray Eagle Award, as the most senior active naval aviator from 1947 until his retirement. ==Personal life==