The Long Lost Portrait of E. E. Murrey
From 1960 until 1994, Camp Murrey was Boxwell’s “family camp.” In the early years, a family camp made a great deal of sense. In a world where women stayed home to care for the children and men worked, it was only logical that when the men took their vacation for summer camp that there be a place for his wife and children. This place was Camp Murrey.
Like the Parnell and Stahlman, Murrey was one of the reservation’s original camps. Also like Stahlman and Parnell, Murrey had an official portrait made of its namesake, E. E. Murrey. Unlike Stahlman and Parnell (the men), Murrey was not a volunteer–he was a professional, specifically the long time treasurer of Middle Tennessee Council.
As part of the 1994 Capital Development Campaign, Camp Murrey was transformed into Gaylord Cubworld. For several years after, the dining hall retained the name of “Murrey Dining Hall.” Today known simply as CubWorld Dining Hall, the portrait of Murrey no longer hangs here. Indeed, some time after 1994, the portrait was taken down and stuck in a closet. Rescued from this slow death, the photo here is from 2005, taken after years of slow deterioration.