Thomas E. Murray (1860-1929)

Today marks the death of Thomas E. Murray, and the following is taken from nycago.org:

Thomas Edward Murray (1860-1929) was an inventor who held 1,100 U.S. patents (second only to Thomas Alva Edison) and was an electrical utility expert. Born in Albany, he established himself at an early age as an expert machinist, attracting the attention of Anthony N. Brady, who was entering the public utilities field. Brady put Murray in charge of the Municipal Gas Company of Albany, and Murray began to show signs of inventiveness. While still a young man, Mr. Murray was sent by Brady to New York to organize and purchase all of the electric franchises in New York and Brooklyn. The mergers he affected resulted in the Edison Electric Illuminating Company (later known as the Brooklyn Edison Company, Inc). In time, Mr. Murray was put in complete charge of all the allied Edison companies in New York, Brooklyn and Westchester County. Mr. Murray designed more electrical plants than any engineer in the country, and he won the Longstreth Medal of Merit for his numerous inventions of safety appliances. He also received a high commendation from the War Department for his invention of an electric welding process for the manufacture of 9.4 inch mortar shells. In November, 1928, he resigned due to ill health from the vice chairmanship of the New York Edison Company. Mr. Murray was also active in religious work and took a prominent part in the affairs of the Catholic church. He was one of the few persons in the United States privileged to have mass celebrated in his own home, where he maintained an altar and reserved Host. Thomas E. Murray died in Southampton, N.Y. on July 21, 1929 at the age of 69. He had eight children, including Thomas E. Murray, Jr., who would become Commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.