Charles D. Murphy

Born in New York City in 1912, Murphy only played lacrosse from 1932-34, as a midfielder at Princeton, but his love for the game extends well beyond his play on the field. Considered to be a lacrosse pioneer, in 1966 he helped establish and fund the Yorktown (N.Y.) High School lacrosse program, the first public school program in the Hudson Valley area. He never coached a single game, but served as a lifetime advisor for Yorktown. And more significant than the tens of thousands of dollars he provided to the Yorktown program through the years, he is fondly remembered by generations of players for always opening the doors of his home. From the time they were children, many of them came over to practice their game on his apple farm, watch tapes of memorable games or tap into his expansive wisdom about the sport or life in general. He would also treat his visitors to snacks and chewing gum.

Murphy was a charter member of the Hudson Valley Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame, inducted in 1994, and he is also enshrined in the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame. In 1994, Murphy also won the Krieger Award for his unheralded contribution to the sport of lacrosse. In 1989, the Charles D. Murphy Game was established between Yorktown and Lakeland, and is held annually in his honor.

The list of players to have come through the Yorktown program and continued to play through college reads like a "Who's Who" in lacrosse. Murphy passed away in 2005. He was 93.