30 Greatest Dallas Cowboys in Franchise History, Though geeky and mild mannered with Coke-bottle glasses. One year an aging barroom brawler showed up at camp, introduced himself as Rufus Roughhouse Page, and presented a contract signed by Clint Murchison. She donated her time and her money to charitable causes, especially regarding children. By the 50s, sleepy little Athens (population in 1956:5,300) had the curious distinction of producing more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. city. Mary Grace Granados is a Dallas native and graduate of Southern Methodist University. She was troubled and on psychiatric medication. With the team becoming more successful in the mid-1960s, Clint Murchison, Jr. wanted a new stadium for the team. Whoever did it to her may have killed her. The creditors declined. It sits on 2.87 acres and is listed for $7.5 million. Its hard to imagine Clint Murchison shooting baskets or riding busesthe Polo Lounge, okay, but the Polo Grounds, never. She said her mother-in-law spent a million dollars a year on clothing, and this from way back. Dr. Barnard said the bruising of Mrs. Murchison's eye was a result from traumatic injury, but that it "played no role in her death." Finally, he decides it was Listeria that killed her. Its very possible that the Cowboys could have been the team moved to Baltimore to replace the Colts and not the Browns. Bright said Mr. Murchison once read an uncomplimentary news article about the Dallas Cowboys and himself. After World War II, he earned a master's degree in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Twelve years ago, at Daylight Donuts, the local institution four blocks off the main square along Hwy. ''They do not blame him for stealing their money. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Leave them blank to get signed up. By some accounts, John was responsible for a conservative viewpoint that helped hold in check the ''wheeler-dealer'' nature of his elder brother. 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. Lamars brother Bunker always seemed to have gravy stains on his necktie. describe a time when you were treated unfairly. He named the place Glad Oaks, after fishing buddies Sam Gladney and Doak Roberts. Her sister claims she was bruised by a fall. New Era, the rural electric company, is always making repairs out at Rainbo where electric lines compete with nature for the right to exist. Thanks so much. Also surviving are several grandchildren. Thus besieged, Mr. Murchison invited his main creditors to his home last Feb. 1. Clint W. Murchison Jr., the scion of a Texas wildcat oil family who created the Dallas Cowboys football team, died Monday night. An autopsy was ordered due to extensive bruising on her body and black eyes, suffered, supposedly, in a previous fall. In the 1950s, pro football made its money on ticket sales, not television and radio contracts. Everything fell apart for Mr. Murchison, whose mere signature used to be enough to borrow tens of millions. Either she's the "mother-in-law" with all the clothes, but not the mother of Clint Murchison III or this Virginia is Clint III's sister. The sale of his assets to pay back creditors was to eventually include his 25-acre estate and the home in North Dallas where he was reared. It lent $30 million to Tecon, a Murchison subsidiary, to develop a prime property in Washington, a 42-acre townhouse project called Hillandale at Georgetown. By 1987, Clint Murchison had sold his mansion and lived in a standard middle-class house with his wife Anne. Mr. Murchison, whose fortune reached an estimated $250 million in 1984, according to Forbes magazine, was recently beset with financial difficulties brought on by the collapse of the real estate market and global oil prices. https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/01/obituaries/cw-murchison-jr-dies-in-texas-at-63.html. For Clint Jr., this was self-evident. Id like to second Landrys suggestion that it be renamed Murchison Stadium. He always knew what to do. ''The management on the scene did not have any real oversight,'' Mr. Johnston said. Because of an embittered battle Clint found himself with his nephew, John Jr., over the borrowing against John Jr.s $30 million trust, an injunction prevented Clint from refinancing his debt. The Cotton Bowl in Fair Park had a grass playing surface that was less prone to causing injuries than the astroturfed surface at Texas Stadium. In the Star Brand's 4,800-square-foot family office is a link back to the source of Toddie Lee's oil fortune. In addition, several other oil-based fortunes in Houston and elsewhere are widely rumored to be on the rocks. It is mentioned that this can be gotten from food poisoning. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. [3], Cowboys Linebacker D.D. And have a nice day. I would love to take one percent credit for Landry, Schramm said, but I can't. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Clinton Williams Murchison Jr. (September 12, 1923 March 30, 1987) was a businessman and founder of the Dallas Cowboys football team. Athens beat out Corsicana, Longview, even Tyler, for the right to build the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, the state-of-the-art hatchery, lab and aquarium on a 107-acre site overlooking Lake Athens. So the group of locals opened a competing donut shop in an old filling station on the other side of the highway. The Murchison lawyers suggested that the creditors form a committee to work with him, according to a lawyer present. He owned so many businesses that he sometimes forgot a few. Texas Stadium was Clints idea too, as was the hole in the roof. Unlike the 180 members of Koon Kreek, Rainbos 18 member: are allowed to live at the club year-round. One claim that Dallas Cowboys fans make, particularly those who listen to the Turkey Neck, or particularly those who confuse paranoia with freethinking and think being an unpaid moderator on a troll-catering fan forum is a lifetime achievement, is that Stephen Jones is a rich mans son. Mr. Murchison's troubles parallel those of several other Texans, whose fortunes have shrunk with the slump in the energy and real estate markets and from mistakes in commodities and other deals. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In a town where Murchisons are considered royalty. "In a report of an investigation being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury, special agents had learned 'that [Clint] Murchison was. [3], Murchison enjoyed a reputation as a practical joker. On that day, one day after being inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, Mr. Murchison sold his beloved Dallas Cowboys for $60 million to pay off creditors. And: 2. Even (he members at Koon Kreek. 19 South. He lived and he died by one simple rule: too rich to worry, too bright to care. [3], Murchison, with his MIT background, understood the potential of using computers in football. Can the Houston Astros Stretch Their Dynasty for One More Year? Godwin, president, said the project was very poorly managed and cash flow stopped more than a year ago. Tex Schramm claimed that Clint was the backbone and support for the entire franchise. Does that make him crazy? He owned a penthouse on Park Avenue in New York, and he relished the chase of getting a hot young woman in the sack, which ultimately led to his divorce in 1972. Clints style and humor reminded me of something Cole Porter might have written: too rich to worry, too bright to care. Hows that for hands off ownership? Radio Nord broadcast in Swedish for 16 months, between March 8, 1961 and June 30, 1962. Murchison had been hospitalized for about two weeks, a hospital spokesman said. Mrs. Murchison's sister, Waverly West Buford, said the black eye was a result of a fall and that's all there is to it. The degenerative nerve disease really was the end for him, and it forced him to sell the Dallas Cowboys for $63 million and Texas Stadium for $20 million to pay off his debts and treat his condition. Shannon loved vintage clothing, as I said. What they had was not far enough along for the creditors to work with.''. Yet, until last year-when Dallas KDFW-Channel 4 broadcast a story on Koon Kreek Klub and WFAA-Channel 8 began looking into the controversy surrounding tax exemptions at Texas clubs and resorts like Rainbo-no one in Athens gave much thought to the Dallas-Athens connection or its illustrious part-time residents living who-knew-where in the woods outside town. The home has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and two half-bathrooms and has been renovated,. Clint Murchison nearly wrecked the Dallas Cowboys more than some fantasize Jerry Jones is doing now. Take a look at her age, and the fact that she's a Bush supporter, which leads me to believe that she probably bought the Warren Commission Lie hook, line, and sinker. She supported George W. Bush for president in 2000, donating $5,000 from Tecon Corp -- I must look into that. It's been known the past few years how bad acetaminophen is for your health. Even if the Athens people knew they were here, they wouldnt understand the magnitude of who they are and what they might be worth.. Adjusted for inflation, this is the equivalent of $1 . Murchison and his wife, Anne, have moved to more modest quarters where he has around-the-clock nursing care. A love of football that began in prep school led Mr. Murchison to create the first great professional sports franchise in Dallas, the National Football League's Cowboys, in 1960. Murchison suggested hiring Landry away from his job as a defensive coach with the New York Giants. Though geeky and mild mannered with Coke-bottle glasses, Clint was a sex-obsessed hound. His bankruptcy was forced after three creditors, the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Kona-Post Corporation, which was set up to develop property in Hawaii, and Citicorp, filed a petition to force Mr. Murchison into involuntary bankruptcy. How much Tylenol do you take if it isn't working? Another claim that is made by fans who champion Clint is the fact he didnt meddle. Clint meddled pretty mightily at the conclusion of the 1964 season. It has been written and illustrated to provide the reader with a brief history of the Island under Clint, Jr.'s ownership as well as to offer some insight into its allure. See the article in its original context from. Cheerful and Optimistic. I was watching Bunker watch what he called the great unwashed burn trash to keep from freezing. ), but this is all about context. Tom Landry probably would have quit coaching years ago except that in 1964 Clint ordered an extraordinary ten-year extension to his contract. The study of PET-CT combined since 2004 We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. They Chose Mine. He retained the management rights to the stadium. In the years since, a chasm has grown between two types of Athenians: Those who see Athens as a Tyler in the making. If someone were to investigate her death, they'd probably drop dead too. No, just makes him cutting edge. Marriage to Clint. Even the staid Cullens found. After John Murchison's death in 1979, a legal dispute over his estate led to the sale of the Cowboys to H. R. Bright, a Dallas businessman, for $60 million in 1984. An autopsy was ordered in part because she had reported to the police on April 19 that she had suffered a black eye and extensive bruising. He divorced his wife, Shannon West. In 1960, the National Football League approved a franchise for Dallas, and Murchison, along with Bedford Wynne, was the franchisee or license holder. Clinton Williams Murchison, Jr., businessman, was born in Dallas, Texas, on September 12, 1923, the son of Anne (Morris) and Clinton Williams Murchison, Sr., both of Tyler. Despite Mr. Murchison's financial problems and failing health, friends and business acquaintances said he remained a cheerful and optimistic man. I could see her going to the hospital with such wounds, but she called the police. In the mid 40s, the late Clint Murchison Sr., tired of waiting to be accepted into Koon Kreek, purchased about 2,000 acres of barren land not far from the club and built himself an octagonal ranch house in the middle of it. I would like to read some more about the soiree. HBO Maxs Love & Death Needed a Home for an Axe Killer. I think something is being hushed up here. I just re-read an article I saved. Listeria is a bacteria found in food poisoning. And she fell and got those injuries? Not long after WFAA-Channel 8 aired its story on Rainbo Club, a local woman who had been told that the rich and famous reside at Rainbo, somehow made it through the clubs gated entrance and was discovered wandering the grounds. Murchison and McLendon remained in the shadows and allowed Murchison's long-time friend Robert F. Thompson to take credit for actual ownership while day-to-day management was vested in Swedish-Finnish businessman Jack S. Kotschack. The 11/21/63 meeting at Clint Murchison's house has intrigued me for quite some time. In February 1985, Mr. Murchison filed for bankruptcy protection in what lawyers believed was one of the nation's largest personal bankruptcy cases. ''Clint's health had an awful lot to do with the whole can of worms,'' said Charles Johnston, chairman of First Federal Savings in Little Rock. Young called the 18,589-square-foot floor plan classic and said it was based on the White House. The article, by Edwin Pope, a sports editor of The Miami Herald, referred to Mr. Murchison as ''a 130-pound halfback from M.I.T.'' [12], Murchison ran into financial difficulties as a result of questionable investments and mismanagement and failing health[2] at a time when the real estate market was collapsing, at the same time as a sharp decrease in the price of oil and a rise in interest rates. This was in the book "Texas in the Morning," written by LBJ's girlfriend. The bonds were in denominations of $250. clint murchison house dallas Category. Their inherited interests included the Daisy Manufacturing Company (manufacturing a BB gun); Field and Stream magazine; Heddon Rod & Reel; Henry Holt and Company (later known as Holt, Rinehart, and Winston); Delhi Oil; Kirby Petroleum and a marine construction company known as Tecon Corporation. In 1975, Anne Brandt divorced her husband Gil yes, that Gil Brandt and became Mrs. Clint Murchison by that June. Ginger Murchison-granddaughter of Clint Sr. and owner of much of the property around the square, including First National Bank of Athens-is behind the effort to develop Athens as a year-round destination and not just during the annual Black-eyed Pea Jamboree, Uncle Fletch s Hamburger Cookoff or the Old Fiddlers Reunion. Weekends in Athens are antisocial, anticlimactic, unDallas. Waving or saying hello is encouraged, naturally, but no one holds it against you if you dont because its understood that while Dallas is willing to socialize in Dallas, it isnt obliged to in Athens. '', See the article in its original context from. Last year, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at at least $250 million ''despite cash flow, creditor problems,'' but that seems overly optimistic now. Of course, you could spend an evening in Dallas playing that game of dominoes known around Athens as Texas 42 (couldnt you? It was this secrecy, perhaps, that nurtured Mr. Murchison's reputation as a skilled businessman who could do little wrong. The coroner said she must have taken a lot of acetaminophen -- this was to plant this into the public's awareness, in my opinion. The coroner said she was on other medications as well -- psychiatric? And when her mother-in-law died, she gave Shannon all her clothing. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. So for that, and all of the sundry woes that come with being a self-martyring fan, they have Clint Murchison to blame. This isnt a hit piece on Murchison, nor do I have any vendetta against the man. Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to roughly $2.8 million in 2020. The Cowboys and general manager Tex Schramm learned to live with Murchisons eccentricities. The most exclusive private club in Dallas is in Athens - the little East Texas town with all the right connections. In this quintessen-tially East Texas town, a man is judged by the size of his lake, the trophies on his wall and whether or not either of these very-Athens measurements of social status amounts to enough to warrant a decent appointment to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. I say her death looks like murder. John Murchison didnt find out about Clints borrowing addiction, which got so bad he had to borrow money to pay existing debts, until the late 1970s. When I was a kid, my grandfather was buying property in the Athens area, says Robert Murchison, who spends at least one weekend a month in Athens with his wife, Maggie, and their kids. Taylor Prewitt is the newsletter editor for Texas Monthly. The suites were an immediate status sensation. He was paying $80 million just to cover the interest rates on his bank notes. Now, a woman with a chronic illness who took so much acetaminophen for pain that it killed her at 47? First Monday, and Athens would like to have that big of a thing, says Mary Anne Smiley of the Athens-as-Tyler contingent. Reluctantly and with no great enthusiasm for their task, lawyers for a score or so of banks and corporations gathered today in a plain courtroom on the 13th floor of the Federal Building here to begin dissolving one of Texas's great personal fortunes. Eventually, both Murchison and crony Sid Richardson were invited to join Koon Kreek, although its not certain if they were issued invitations before or after they appeared in Time (The New Athenians) and V.S. Marshall loved elaborate halftime shows with lots of bands and live animal acts, and disaster was barely averted when a stadium guard caught Clints rowdies as they were trying to free several thousand live chickens while a dog team pulled Santa Claus down the field. I decided to look into the current Murchison. Whether due to early onsets of dementia, or more reasonably, an ignorance of history as it was happening, such fans neglect the realities that were Clint Murchison. Our goal is to keep the community the way it is., The kind of place, in other words, where the annual Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree is the highlight of the summer, the annual Bass N Gals fishing contest is the Super Bowl of womens professional bass fishing. Many familiar with the case trace the Murchison problems to several key events since the death of Clint Sr. in 1969. In 1984, an ailing Murchison[3] sold the Dallas Cowboys to an investment syndicate led by Bum Bright, a Dallas area businessman who had a background in banking/financial services and in oil/gas production. You are at the Koon Kreek Klub. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Another example of Clint Murchison putting his needs ahead of the players was in the building of Texas Stadium. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. 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. liked nothing more than a weekend of fishing. Now that its become common knowledge the Bushes have a place at Rainbo, says Mary Ann Perryman, somebodys always nosing around., Perryman is a third-generation Athenian and daughter of E.B. The Murchison wealth was left to Clint Jr. and his younger brother, John. Nonetheless, Clint Murchison wanted to be an NFL owner. Other bruising could have occcurred because her blood-clotting was impaired by her illness and liver failure, he said. He was a great owner of the Dallas Cowboys and our Americas Team image came about during his ownership. He found the drug helped aid him in his concupiscent escapades. In the early sixties, when Murchisons Cowboys and Lamar Hunts Texans were competing for our attention, Hunt invited writers assigned to cover his team to spend an evening with him in Las Vegas. The home has six additional bedrooms, two of which are in what is designated as the guest suite. [1] He died of pneumonia in 1987 at age 63 in Dallas,[2] and is buried at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in North Dallas. Indeed, the reversals were stunning. She was found dead at age 47 with bruises on her body and a black eye. This article doesnt dispute that fact; rather, it is an example of the irresponsibility Clint Murchison had that led to the Cowboys downfall. The first of its kind in the NFL, it was originally intended to be part of a 160-acre mixed use development. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Shannon died in 2005 at age 48. We have left it as it was originally published, without updating, to maintain a clear historical record. Athens would never go to Dallas to play dominoes; Dallas doesnt come to Alliens to socialize. '', In the early 1980's, Mr. Murchison was involved in a number of energy and real estate ventures that eventually eroded his wealth. An autopsy was ordered in part because she had reported to police on April 19 that she had suffered a black eye and extensive bruising. But Clint didnt mind. I sounds like one of the Murchison women shopped like Imelda Marcos and Robert Mugabe's wife. What would the mediots say if Jerry Jones was having an affair with Tom Ciscowskis wife? "The liver failure was very dramatic," said chief medical examiner Jeffrey Barnard. [1] Murchison married again in 1943 to Virginia Long from Commerce, Texas. So, you see, big money can buy anything in Dallas, but that doesnt mean it can buy anything at Dallas most prestigious club. He was named a finalist for the 2020 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor, however he was not elected. John Murchison and his brother Clint Murchison Jr. were the first owners of the Dallas Cowboys. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. In the late 1950s, Clint Sr. was one of the richest Americans, right there with Edsel Ford and all of the Rockefeller boys. It sits on property that was part of the Dallas Polo Club in the 1920s, she said. He was also the father of Dallas Cowboys owner Clint Murchison, Jr.. "It is likely that she took a pretty good amount of acetaminophen.". Numerous suits followed, including one by two of Mr. Murchison's nieces. He brought in 10,000magnolia bushes, 2,000dogwood trees and 10,000pine seedlings. The woman was obviously beaten by someone -- she even called the police! 1923, d. 1987) Mistress: Jane Brother: Robert Sister: Coke Anne Saunders Brother: Burke Wife: Shannon (div., d. 28-Apr-2005 acute bacterial meningitis) Tecon Corporation Member of the Board of Bankers Trust Company of Texas Member of the Board of Centex (1979-2009) They can hide out without making excuses. Although his body was shriveled by Lou Gehrigs disease, which eventually killed him, he insisted that Bill Dunagan and I load his wheelchair into a limo and take him to his favorite barbecue hangout. 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[2] where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in electrical engineering. Consult below for the rest of the story. Conspiracy regarding Kennedy Assassination, Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, "How the 'America's Team' Dallas Cowboys transformed the city's image after JFK assassination", "Meet the man several Dallas legends want to see in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: 'Without him, there would be no' Cowboys", "Texas Business Legends - Texas Business Hall of Fame", Anne Murchison Found Clint, Oil Money and the Cowboys Weren't EnoughWithout God, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clint_Murchison_Jr.&oldid=1144488591. And then a guess for the press -- Tylenol! Only Koon Kreek Klub-an 8,000-acre hunting and fishing club with a 40-year waiting list-is still made up of that diminishing breed of socially affluent whose Dallas roots run deep. What set Clint Murchison, Jr., apart was that he enjoyed the hell out of his money. It bothered some that he was cozy with J. Edgar Hoover, a frequent houseguest. The agenda rarely becomes more ambitious or complicated than that, although, of course, there are variables: How large was that bass? Home; Service. And that her bruising may have come from liver failure. The atmosphere is rustic in a kind of pretentiously unpretentious way, but thats the point. The most prestigious Dallas club admits not the social wannabe, but the social gonnabe. After LaRue died in 1956, Perrymans husband, the late W.C. Perryman, gathered a group of friends, including the late Grady Vaughn Jr. and Waymon Peavy of Dallas-bought the land 12 and a half mi les southeast of Athens from LaRues estate and clubbed it, as Mary Ann Perryman says. Murchison had two brothers, John D. Murchison (19211979) and Burk Murchison (19251936), who died at age ten from a childhood disease. Clint Murchison Jr.: $1.4 billion inheritance Clint Murchison Jr. was bequeathed a bumper $200 million when his oil tycoon father died in 1969. This story is from Texas Monthlys archives. Even now, Athens (population; 10,967) wears its Dallas legacy at every turn, at the Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library, the Cain Center, the new $18 million Ed Cox Jr. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. He's the son of the Murchison who held that meeting with Johnson, Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, and others, where they decided to assassinate the President. Instead, what the banks discovered was how insolvent Clint was, and they all panicked and demanded payment. Money was no object really. The theory suggests that Murchison's connections to certain Dallas industrialists as well as influence in American politics, at the time, facilitated the assassination of the president. In 1985, Murchison designed, constructed and financed a 30-acre campus-style headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys called Valley Ranch located in Irving, Texas. In a 1936 article, The News reported that the home cost $150,000 to build. Therefore, owning a pro football team in the hotbed of college football would mean the franchise would be average at best. The big question is whether Mr. Murchison (pronounced MURK- ison), heir to the vast fortune accumulated by his famed wildcatter father, Clinton Murchison Sr., has enough assets to pay off his creditors, as he says he wants to do. She writes about luxury properties, food and lifestyle in Dallas. Im gonna bet you that in 15 years Athens will be way ahead of Tyler. Dallas, Texas 75201. paula benson stephen conroy. A quote from the former husband sadly intoning he wishes things could have worked out better. The home has a solarium, with access to the garden, as well as a trophy room with original murals signed by Reveau Bassett. In 1975 I married Clint Murchison, Jr.
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