Detail of RIM’s tie

Robert I Murray

Robert I Murray was an insurance agent who worked in New York City before his death in 1903. He was the grandson of Robert I Murray who lived near 14th Street and 3rd Avenue and the great-great grandson of Robert Murray who lived on Murray Hill. This Robert Murray died in 1786 and left money to the Friends to start a Meeting school which has since evolved into Friends Seminary.

This Robert Murray is interesting in regard to the evolution of New York City Quakerism. He is the son of two prominent Orthodox Friends, Robert L. Murray and Ruth S Taber Murray. Ruth was a popular Quaker minister and she served as clerk of the Women’s New York Yearly Meeting. Both were fervent evangelical Quakers who were steeped in the holiness movement of Orthodox Friends.
Ruth wrote several Quaker books. There is one book which collected the last words of famous people and dying Friends. I guess the idea was that you were closer to knowing God when you were dying.

Look at this close-up of Robert Murray’s tie clasp. It is a cross!  Traditionally, Quakers used to avoid religious symbols.  Robert I Murray lived in Chappaqua, New York and commuted by train to the city.  He and his wife Phebe Anna Cock Murray were members of 20th Street Meeting (located at the current Brotherhood Synagogue).  Robert worked behind the scenes with Rufus Jones and James Wood of New York to create united Discipline or Faith and Practice for the Orthodox Friends Meetings.  Their efforts led to the creation of Friends United Meeting that is based in Richmond, Indiana. Robert and Phebe’s youngest child was born after Robert’s death.  She was named Roberta after her father and she was my maternal grandmother.

One last bit of trivia…one of Robert I Murray’s sons was an architect who built a house on their farmland in Chappaqua.  This is the house that is currently occupied by Bill and Hillary Clinton.