Oral history interview with James S. Murday
- 2007-May-29
James S. Murday, at a young age, decided he wanted to be a second Einstein; he wanted to bring important change to the world. In school he always did better in the sciences and math, so he liked them more. He was most interested in the physical sciences, though he liked biology well enough to consider biophysics for a graduate program. He entered Case Institute of Technology, working with Arthur Benade. Case was across the street from Severance Hall, where music offered scope for the practical application of physics, and Murday wrote his senior thesis on the acoustics of flutes. William Gordon, Murday’s other major mentor, introduced Murday to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Fascinated by solid-state physics, Murday entered Cornell University, where he was research assistant for Robert Cotts. Murday’s interests expanded to include diffusion. At the time, chemistry’s new pulse techniques provided greater impetus for NMR, and Murday exploited the growing interface between chemistry and physics. When he finished his PhD he was recruited by Henry Resing into the NMR lab at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Resing was working on protective chemistry and needed a diffusion person. Later, Murday became head of the new surface chemistry branch, an event he regards as a turning point in his career, the first step to nanoscience. Murday discusses his early experiences in the NRL, beginning with the relationship between NRL and the Office of Naval Research, where he was drafted to survey the state of surface science. He describes how he liked being a decision-maker as well as a lab worker, and further describes his experiences as the man who could see the big picture and could find reasons for various agencies and departments to join the American Vacuum Society (AVS). Murday joined the AVS, which united chemistry, materials science, and electronics. He helped organize AVS’s applied division and established the Mid-Atlantic chapter of AVS, thus enhancing his own position there and eventually being elected to the board of directors. When scanning and tunneling microscopes came along, clearly nanostructures were next. AVS officially became the first home of nanoscience. Murday influenced the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation, both of which had funding in abundance, to get involved in nano. Usefulness of nano for unmanned aircraft drew in the Department of Defense, and all then came up with the Interagency Working Group, which hoped to promote nano to the President and Congress of the United States. It took a couple of years and two presidents, but finally Nanometer Science and Engineering Technology (NSET), a subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), was born and Murday was named Executive Secretary. Murday was also appointed Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), set up to support NSET. NSET has continued to expand its membership as well as to change its purpose. The character of nano has changed with this expansion and with new technology. Murday felt he was getting stale as Head of the NRL Chemistry Division and that new blood was needed, so he accepted the position of Associate Director for Physical Sciences with University of Southern California’s Office of Research Advancement in Washington, D.C.
Access this interview
By request 1 PDF Transcript File and 3 Audio Recording Files
Fill out a brief form to receive immediate access to these files.
If you have any questions about transcripts, recordings, or usage permissions, contact the Center for Oral History at oralhistory@sciencehistory.org.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Interviewee | |
| Interviewer | |
| Sponsor | |
| Place of interview | |
| Format | |
| Genre | |
| Extent |
|
| Language | |
| Subject |
|
| Rights | Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License |
| Rights holder |
|
| Credit line |
|
About the Interviewer
Cyrus Mody is an assistant professor of history at Rice University. Prior to that position he was the manager of the Nanotechnology and Innovation Studies programs in the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and materials engineering from Harvard University and a PhD in science and technology studies from Cornell. He was the 2004–2005 Gordon Cain Fellow at CHF before becoming a program manager. Mody has published widely on the history and sociology of materials science, instrumentation, and nanotechnology.
Institutional location
| Department | |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Oral history number | 0639 |
Related Items
Interviewee biographical information
| Born |
|
|---|
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Case Institute of Technology | BS | Physics |
| 1969 | Cornell University | PhD | Physics |
Professional Experience
Naval Research Laboratory (U.S.)
- 1970 to 1973 Research Physicist, Chemistry Division
- 1974 to 1980 Head, Advanced Surface Spectroscopy and Carbon Sections
- 1974 to 1987 Part-time Consultant and Program Officer, Office of Naval Research
- 1981 to 1987 Head, Surface Chemistry Division
- 1988 to 2006 SES-4 Head, Chemistry Division
- 1989 to 1992 Chair, Invention Evaluation Board
- 1995 Member, InfoVision/2000 (Library) Steering Committee
- 1995 to 1998 Chair, Performance Management Committee in NRL Lab Demonstration Project
- 1997 to 2002 Chair, Library Committee
- 1999 to 2001 Technical Coordinator, construction project for NRL Nanoscience Building
- 2000 Member, Working Group on Defenses Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA)
- 2000 Chair, NRL E.O. Hulburt Award Selection Committee
- 2000 to 2002 Member, Naval Fuels and Lubricants IPT
- 2001 to 2003 Chief Scientist, Office of Naval Research
- 2001 to 2006 Chair, Naval Working Group on Nanoscience
American Vacuum Society
- 1977 to 1987 Chair, Mid Atlantic Chapter
- 1982 Chair, National Symposium Local Arrangements Committee
- 1982 to 1985 Chair, Trustees
- 1986 Chair, National Symposium Local Arrangements Committee
- 1986 to 1988 Editorial Board, JVST
- 1987 to 1988 Board of Directors
- 1991 to 1993 President Cycle
- 1993 to 2007 Member, Long Range Planning Committee
- 1996 Chair, Nanometer Structures Division
- 1998 to 2001 Chair, Intersociety Interactions Committee
- 1999 to 2001 Member, Long Range Technical Planning Committee
American Chemical Society
- 1983 to 1985 Executive Committee, Colloid and Surface Chemistry Division
- 1988 Symposium Co-chairperson 3rd Chemical Congress of North America
- 1991 Symposium Co-chairperson 4th Chemical Congress of North America
American Institute of Physics
- 1986 to 1989 Governing Board
- 1988 to 1991 Member, Nominating Committee
- 1990 Chair, Nominating Committee
- 1991 to 1993 Chair, Development Committee
- 1994 to 1996 Member, Committee of Committees
- 1996 Chair, Committee of Committees
International Union of Vacuum Science, Techniques and Applications
- 1992 to 1995 Chair, Steering Committee on Science and Technology of Nanometer Structures
- 1995 to 1998 Chair, Nanometer Structures Division
Institute of Physics (Great Britain)
- 1994 to 2001 Editorial Board, Nanotechnology Journal
Federation of European Materials Societies
- 1995 to 2003 Trustee
United States. Department of Defense
- 1997 Directory of Research (acting), Research and Engineering
- 1999 to 2006 Chair/member, Committee on Nanoscience Strategic Research Objective
- 1999 to 2006 NSTC Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Subcommittee
United States. Office of Science and Technology
- 1999 to 2006 Executive Secretary, NSTC Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology Subcommittee
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
- 2001 to 2003 Director
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Special Achievement Award, NRL (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1974 | Letter of Commendation from the Chief of Naval Research (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1975 | Special Achievement Award, NRL (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1976 | Outstanding Performance Rating (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1977 | Outstanding Performance Rating (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1980 | Chemistry Division Publication Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1981 | Certificate of Appreciation, Strategic Systems Project Office (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1986 | Outstanding Performance Rating (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1987 | PMRS Performance Awards (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1988 | PMRS Performance Awards (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1990 | Outstanding Performance Rating (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1990 | Technology Transfer Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1991 | SES Bonus Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1991 | Plenary Speaker, Inaugural Meeting of Korean Vacuum Society (Professional) |
| 1993 | Certificate of Commendation, Joint Directors of Laboratories (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1993 | Plenary Speaker, Brazilian Vacuum Society Conference (Professional) |
| 1993 | AVS Commendation (Professional) |
| 1995 | Leadership Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1995 | Combined Federal Campaign Vice Chairman (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1995 to 2000 | Citation of Appreciation from R&D Magazine (R&D100 Award) (Professional) |
| 1996 | SES Bonus Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 1997 | Certificate of Appreciation (Dept. of Defense ExecutiveLeadership Development Program) (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2000 | Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Naval Research Laboratory (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2000 | Hammer Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2001 | SES Bonus Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2002 | Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2004 | SES Bonus Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2004 | SES Bonus Award (Navy Research Lab, Navy, and Department of Defense) |
| 2005 | Fellow, Washington Academy of Sciences (Professional) |
| 2005 | Fellow, American Vacuum Society (Professional) |
| 2005 | Fellow, Institute of Physics, United Kingdom (Professional) |
| 2005 | Honorary Member, American Vacuum Society (Professional) |
| 2007 to 2008 | Participant, Digitalized Globe Conferences, Allianz SE (Professional) |
Cite as
See our FAQ page to learn how to cite an oral history.