Mr. Samuel E. “Gene” Murphree Jr. ’45 graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor of architecture in 1948. He was a member of G Company Infantry and participated on the freshman football team. Mr. Murphree served in the U.S. Army during WWII and the Korean Conflict. He was the founder and president of the Gene Murphree Corporation where he worked from 1954-1987. Mr. Murphree was the founding chairman of the Professional Advisory Board of the TAMU Department of Construction Science where he served for 25 years. He served as the chairman of the TAMU College of Architecture Development Board. He received the Outstanding Alumni award from the College of Architecture and the Construction Science Outstanding Contributions award. The Construction Science department gives the Gene Murphree Award for Excellence to the outstanding senior every year. Mr. Murphree also served as president of the Texas Association of General Contractors (AGC) and as director of the national AGC.