Catching up with Former Emeritus Professor Paul Murrill

(as it appeared in the Fall 2001 Alumni Newsletter)

Chatting with Professor Emeritus Paul Murrill—whom Professor Armando Corripio calls “a real Southern gentleman and a great person”—is a true pleasure, no matter the subject.

Past students from the Department of Chemical Engineering will remember Professor Murrill as serving as part of the general faculty (1963-1967) and as the Department Chair (1967-1969). Professor Corripio, who studied under Professor Murrill during his own years as a student in the Chemical Engineering Department, remembers Paul Murrill as “an excellent teacher.

Former Emeritus Professor Paul Murrill enjoys the salt sea air.

His research was in automatic process control, and he taught me my first process control course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, before Chemical Engineering had a course of its own. He could make difficult concepts easy to understand. He would teach only the basic concepts, leaving you with the conviction that they were all that mattered.” Corripio said.

In addition to his work in the lab and in the classroom, Dr. Murrill wrote one of the first textbooks on Automatic Process Control in 1967, and later co-wrote nine other books on subjects including process mathematical modeling and computer programming.

Murrill left the department to serve first as University Provost (1969-1974), then as University Chancellor until his retirement in 1980. When asked what he missed most about LSU, particularly his years in the Chemical Engineering Department, Professor Murrill, replied “the people!” adding “but not the parking problems.” He also stated that he had enjoyed his years in the Chemical Engineering Department “very, very, very, much,” noting that it was always fulfilling to be around “such bright people,” students and faculty alike.

After his retirement from LSU, Professor Murrill first went on to take charge of Research and Development for Ethyl Corporation, and then became Chairman and CEO of Gulf States Utilities (now Entergy). He reports that he “stopped being an employee” in the late 1980’s, and has since served on the corporate boards of six companies: Entergy, Tidewater Incorporated, Howell Incorporated, Baton Rouge Water Company, ChemFirst, and MicroProbe.

When he’s not doing “board work,” Professor Murrill enjoys spending time with his family, particularly his four grandchildren, all boys. Professor Murrill and his wife had three sons themselves, and there has not been a girl born in his family line “since 1904.” (Professor Murrill also enjoys genealogy.) Murrills other interest range from “modest” gardening to giving a series of lectures on the Christian Church of the Middle Ages at University Baptist Church.