Brownwood News – Gladys Murray of Austin will be the recipient of Howard Payne University’s Homecoming 2019 Medal of Service. She is among nine who will be honored during this year’s festivities, to be held November 1-2. Additional honorees are listed at www.hputx.edu/homecoming and will be highlighted in the weeks to come.
Murray and the other honorees will be recognized during the Alumni and Sports Hall of Fame Banquet at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, November 1, in the Mabee University Center’s Beadel Dining Hall. The honorees will also be featured in the Homecoming Parade on Saturday, November 2, beginning at 10 a.m. Ticket information for the banquet and a full schedule of the weekend’s events are available online at www.hputx.edu/homecoming.
Murray graduated from HPU in 1980 with a degree in business with a secondary teacher’s certification. Murray was a member of Zeta Alpha Phi and was a nominee for Homecoming Freshman Lasso Beauty. She was also a member of Christian Brothers of Unity and played intramural sports. While she was a student, she participated in the community choir at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and made this her church home and served in the ministries of the church.
Murray completed 31 years of state service with the Texas Youth Commission and retired in 2010. She still works at her church as an administrative assistant, event coordinator and financial officer, in addition to helping with other ministries.
Murray is the secretary for the HPU African-American Alumni Association Chapter, is involved with the Black History Month Chapel Service each year and helps coordinate other events for the chapter.
She and her husband, Glynn Murray, have six children and seven grandchildren.
“Howard Payne prepared me by continuing to instill the Word of God in me and giving me the opportunity to participate in mission work and service projects to be a leader and an example who is pleasing in the sight of God,” said Murray.
