Scott Murphy

MURPHY

SCOTT, M.D., internationally renowned hematologist, died April 13, 2006 after a long battle with lymphoma. He was the chief medical officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Penn-Jersey Region and an adjunct professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. His life's work in developing new methods for collection, processing and storage of blood platelets has resulted in reduced risk of disease transmission for patients requiring blood transfusions. The Food and Drug Administration used his methodology to determine post-transfusion viability of stored platelets. Born in 1936, Dr. Murphy was a lifelong resident of the Phila. area, residing most recently in Center City. He was educated at Episcopal Academy and was graduated from Yale University as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1958. He received the degree of doctor of medicine from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1962. Following an internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, he served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1965 as a captain stationed at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. Following his discharge, Dr. Murphy completed his residency in medicine at Brigham and returned to Phila. in 1966 as a research fellow in hematology at Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. He joined the faculty of Penn's School of Medicine, becoming an associate professor of medicine in 1975, the same year that he was appointed the director of the division of hematology-oncology and the director of the hematology research laboratory. There he began the research into blood platelets and methods for improving their storage that became the focus of his professional career. In 1976, Dr. Murphy left Penn to join the faculty of Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University as an attending physician and associate professor of medicine and a member of the Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research. He was appointed professor of medicine in 1979. As a member of the Cardeza Foundation, he served as associate director of the blood bank form 1979-1994 and as associate director of clinical programs from 1987-1994. Dr. Murphy joined the American Red Cross, Penn Jersey Region in 1993 as the associate medical director and became the chief medical officer in 1994, a position he held until his death. He returned to Penn's School of Medicine as an adjunct professor of medicine in 1999. During his long and distinguished career, Dr. Murphy held leadership positions in many national and international scientific societies including serving as chairman of the BEST Group (Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion) Collaborative from 1998-2002. Among the awards he received for his work with platelets were the Karl Landsteiner Award from the American Association of Blood Banks in 1998 and the Charles R. Drew Award from the American Red Cross in 2005. He was the author of numerous peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and was the principal investigator on many grants awarded to study storage of blood platelets. Although Dr. Murphy was recognized by his peers as a brilliant scientist, his patients and their families knew him as a compassionate doctor who treated them as human beings, not just patients, and his medical students and hematology fellows looked up to him as an inspiring example of what a caring doctor should be. His greatest loves were his research and his family. He enjoyed good food and wine, great music and travel. A snappy dresser who always wore his signature bowtie, he had an impish grin and twinkling Irish blue eyes that stood in contrast to his quiet charm and gentle manner. He is survived by his wife, Joan Corrigan Murphy, a daughter, Margaret Engelhard, 4 sons, Andrew and Miles Murphy and John and James Engelhard and 10 grandchildren. A private Graveside Service for family only will be held on Tues., April 18, 2006. A Memorial Service is tentatively scheduled for Thurs., May 4, 2006. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 16 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce St., Phila, PA 19104.