Fordham Preparatory School - Ramview Ramview SPRING 17 | Page 16

Sportlight
James Murphy ’03 – From the Leonard Theatre Stage to Emmy Winner
Murphy '03 in the MLB Studios
Growing up, baseball was James Murphy’s passion. While
he may have dreamed about catching for the Yankees, he
probably did not envision working for Major League
Baseball, let alone winning four Emmy® awards. His path
to The Show all started at Fordham Prep. little bit of trouble during my time at Fordham Prep, so I
spent time in his office from time to time! Also, my parents
were going through a divorce while I was in high school,
and Mr. Pettus looked out for me and supported me. The
fact that he was a baseball guy didn’t hurt either!
Q: How did you find your way to Fordham Prep?
I went to St. Gregory the Great in Harrison, NY where I
grew up. My mother had actually heard of Fordham Prep
and how great of a school it was. She worked for the New
York City Board of Education, and I guess it was a friend of
hers who referred me to the school and said it would be
the best place for me to go to high school. My mom said,
“Ok, let’s get him into Fordham Prep.” So she’s the one
who pushed me to go to Fordham. I went and visited the
school, and I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was
fantastic. Coming out of 8th grade from a private school
looking at other schools, you have a number of options. I
looked at two other Catholic high schools, but I was never
serious about them. For me, the first choice was Fordham
Prep, and I was thrilled I was accepted into the school. The other teacher would be Fr. (William) O’Malley, SJ. I was
in the theater program and had the great pleasure of
having him as a teacher senior year. I know he was popular
because of his role in The Exorcist, but he was an incredibly
smart and wise man. I didn’t realize how well respected he
was among the “outside world” until he received an
honorary doctorate from LeMoyne during my college
graduation ceremony.
Q: What activities were you involved in while at
Fordham Prep?
I was a shy kid, but I summoned enough courage to try out
for the baseball team my freshman year. I didn’t make it.
(Laughter). I ended up gravitating towards theater –
several of my friends were in it, so I went out my
sophomore year and loved it!
Q: Where there any teachers who influenced you
during your time as a student?
Two stand out in my mind. Mr. Pettus taught me Global
and I think he had a bit of a soft spot for me. I got into a
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Q: You mention you attended LeMoyne – how did you
end up there?
My two college choices in high school were NYU and
Ithaca, but I realized I probably would not be able to get
into either school. Shawn Ahern was my college counselor
in at the Prep, and he suggested I take a look at LeMoyne.
It’s small, liberal arts school with a television production
studio, and being a Jesuit school was a plus. I visited the
school and had an unbelievable time. I was taken around
by a senior who made sure he introduced me to everyone
and made me feel very comfortable and have a great feel
for the school. LeMoyne wasn’t my first choice, but it was
the choice after my visit.
Q: What did you major in while at LeMoyne?
I majored in communications with a concentration in TV
and radio production. One of the professors that I had
who really influenced me was Jason Roche, who taught
both me and my wife.