Clint Murchison, Jr.

Clinton Williams Murchison Jr. (September 12, 1923 – March 30, 1987) was an American businessman and founder of the Dallas Cowboys football team. A son of Clint Murchison Sr., who made his first fortune in oil exploration and became notorious for exploiting the sale of "hot oil", Clint and his surviving brother inherited their father's wealth and business interests to which Clint Jr. added ventures of his own. These included the establishment of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys franchise, real estate development, construction, home building, restaurants and financing the offshore pirate radio station called Radio Nord.

Early life Murchison had two brothers, John D. Murchison (1921–1979) and Burk Murchison (1925–1936), who died at age ten from a childhood disease. His mother died when he was two and he was mainly raised by an aunt. He attended school at Lawrenceville School and joined the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor and went on to become a student at Duke University as part of the Marine Corps V-12 training program

In the early 1960s the Murchisons were involved in a proxy fight with Allan P. Kirby over control of Alleghany Corporation, a holding company whose interests included New York Central Railroad and Investors Diversified Services, a large mutual fund company. The proxy fight was the largest in corporate history.

Dallas Cowboys founding owner In 1960, the National Football League approved a franchise for Dallas, and Murchison, along with Bedford Wynne, was awarded the rights to the franchise. A motivating factor in the NFL's decision to award a franchise for Dallas was the establishment of the American Football League (AFL) by Lamar Hunt, another Dallas area businessman. Hunt, in helping create the AFL, established a professional football presence in Dallas, and the NFL realized the urgency with which they needed to address a potential market gain by the upstart league and a loss for the established organization.

For the most part, Murchison was a hands-off owner, delegating a great deal of operational control of the Cowboys to general manager Tex Schramm, head coach Tom Landry and scouting/personnel director Gil Brandt. His general attitude was to hire experts and let them execute the aspect of the business that fell in their expertise. Hence, Schramm oversaw most of the Cowboys day-to-day business matters, and represented the Cowboys at league meetings–a prerogative normally reserved to the owner. Brandt had a free hand in drafting and scouting players, and Landry enjoyed absolute authority over the day-to-day running of the actual team.

Murchison's laissez-faire attitude has been credited by many Cowboys fans as the driving force in the team's 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985 (including five Super Bowl appearances and including two Super Bowl championships). By leaving most football matters in the hands of operations staff, Murchison did not create an atmosphere of second guessing and arguments over player selection or credit for the team's success.

Murchison suggested hiring Landry away from his job as a defensive coach with the New York Giants. “I would love to take one percent credit for Landry,” Schramm said, “but I can't."

As the team floundered through their first few seasons and critics called for Landry's firing, Murchison backed his coach by handing him a 10-year contract. On the eve of the Dallas Cowboys' first Super Bowl he wrote to coach Tom Landry, “Dear Tom: I have taught you all I can. From now on, you're on your own.” Murchison's Cowboys, featuring likable players and a winning tradition, paved the way for a new Dallas image.

Building Texas Stadium The Cowboys played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas since their inception in 1960. With the team becoming more successful in the mid-1960s, Clint Murchison Jr. wanted a new stadium for the team. Unable to strike a bargain with the City of Dallas, he elected to build a new stadium in Irving, Texas.

Incorporating a host of first-ever innovations, Murchison became known as the godfather of modern stadium construction. Texas Stadium was the first dedicated football stadium to offer luxury suites. The Circle Suites were available for purchase for $50,000 for the life of the stadium. The suites were an immediate status sensation.

Murchison's luxury suite often played host to famous guests including Willie Nelson, Clint Eastwood, Jerry Jeff Walker, Norman Lear, Burt Reynolds, Henry Kissinger and Lyndon Johnson.

Bankruptcy Murchison ran into financial difficulties as a result of questionable investments and mismanagement and failing health In February 1985, he had to file for personal bankruptcy protection after three creditors, the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Kona-Post Corporation and Citicorp, filed a petition to force him into bankruptcy. Lawyers involved in the case called it one of the largest personal bankruptcy cases in United States history. Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award (1984)