Thomas Earl Murley

On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Dr. Thomas Earl Murley of Adamstown, Maryland passed away at the age of 85. 

Dr. Murley was born in Joliet, Illinois to Ina and Maurice Murley and grew up in Minooka, Illinois. He earned a B.S. in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Illinois and in August 1961, married Karen Brown before moving to Boston to pursue his doctorate in Nuclear Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

After earning his Sc.D. from M.I.T. in 1965, Dr. Murley moved to Karlsruhe, Germany for post doctorate research. Returning to the U.S. in 1966, he worked as a Senior Scientist for Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, in 1968 relocated to Bethesda, Maryland to accept a position with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. 

In 1975 Dr. Murley joined the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and from 1983 to 1987 was the Administrator of Region I Office, responsible for the inspection and oversight of 31 nuclear plants in the northeastern United States. In 1994, he retired as the Director of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) in which he was NRC’s chief reactor safety official. In that position he licensed 14 power reactors. 

During his tenure at NRC, Dr. Murley received the following honors and awards:

· 1979 Senior Executive Service Charter Member 

· 1981 NRC Distinguished Service Award 

· 1986 Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive from President Reagan 

· 1987 Fellow of American Nuclear Society 

· 1990 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive from President Bush 

· 1992 American Nuclear Society’s Tommy Thompson Award for Nuclear Safety

Dr. Murley is survived by his wife, Karen; daughters, Suzanne Murley and her husband, Carlos Mendes, of Chevy Chase, Maryland and Yvette Murley, PhD of Frederick, Maryland; and three grandchildren, Ava Murley, Danielle Henry and Thomas Henry. 

As per Dr. Murley’s request, no funeral or memorial service will be held.