Burton McMurtry

1935 - 2018

Burton McMurtry

March 26, 1935 - Sept. 2, 2018

Burton J. McMurtry, 83, passed away in Palo Alto, CA on September 2nd. Burt was born March 26, 1935 in Houston, Texas. While attending Rice University in Houston, where he received a BA ('56) and BSEE ('57), Burt married Deedee. He received MS ('59) and PhD ('62) degrees from Stanford in Electrical Engineering while working for GTE-Sylvania in Mountain View, CA, where he conducted and eventually managed laser research and development.
In 1969 he left Sylvania to join Jack Melchor in establishing a venture capital business, an industry in which he worked full time until 1995, retiring fully in 2002. He was a founder of VC partnerships Institutional Ventures Associates (IVA) and Technology Venture Investors (TVI) and served as director of over thirty companies. He served as President of both the National Venture Capital Association and the Western Association of Venture Capitalists.
He served on the Board of Trustees of Stanford University (Chairman '04-'08), Rice University, and the Carnegie Institution for Science, and was a founding member of the California Council on Science and Technology. Stanford awarded him the Gold Spike Award and the Degree of Uncommon Man.
With Deedee, he was an active philanthropist, focusing on education, housing and the arts. Burt was an enthusiastic member of the Bohemian Club (WOOF Camp).
Burt is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Deedee, and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on October 8th at 2:30 p.m. at Stanford Memorial Church. Reception immediately to follow at the Stanford Faculty Club. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Burton J. McMurtry Memorial Fund at Stanford University, the Burton J. McMurtry Memorial Fund at Rice University and San Mateo Mission Hospice & Home Care.
Picture by Linda Cicero, Stanford News Service.