George Munroe
Encyclopedia
George Barber Munroe is a retired American professional basketball player, Navy
veteran, Rhodes scholar, lawyer, and former CEO
of Phelps Dodge Corporation.
in the fall of 1939. He played on the Big Green basketball team from 1940–41 to 1942–43, where as junior
he was honored as a consensus Second Team All-American
. A , 170 lb (77 kg) guard, Munroe guided Dartmouth to the NCAA national title game
—the school's first championship appearance—but lost to Stanford
, 53–38. They finished the season with a 22–6 overall record, largely led by Munroe, who was the 1941–42 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League
(Ivy League) scoring champion. In 12 conference games he scored 175 points, good for an average of 14.6 points per game
. As a senior
in 1942–43, Dartmouth once again reached the NCAA Tournament
, but this time lost in the opening round to DePaul
, 46–36. They would defeat NYU 51–49 in the East Region consolation game, however, and finish their season with a 20–3 overall record. In the spring of 1943, Munroe graduated from Dartmouth College.
from 1943 to 1946. After he was discharged, Munroe played for two seasons in the Basketball Association of America
(BAA). He spent the 1946–47 season playing for the St. Louis Bombers
and the 1947–48 season with the Boston Celtics
. In his two professional seasons, Munroe averaged 6.1 points in 80 career games.
When his basketball career ended, he enrolled at Harvard Law School
where he earned his LL.B.
in 1949. Shortly thereafter, Munroe was admitted to the New York State Bar Association
and became associated with the firm of Cravath, Swain & Moore in New York City
. He was only with the firm for a short while before enrolling at Christ Church, Oxford
, one of the biggest constituent colleges
of the University of Oxford
in England.
In 1951, Munroe received his B.A.
degree and graduated from Christ Church as a Rhodes scholar. Upon returning to the United States he practiced law for several years, but then returned to Oxford and earned an M.A. from Christ Church in 1956. For the next two years, Munroe practiced law in New York, and then in 1958 he joined Phelps Dodge Corporation, an American mining company.
in 1969, he served as the president and CEO concurrently until 1975, at which point Munroe stepped down as president to focus on his duties as the CEO. He finally retired from the mining company in 1987 but still resumed his seat as a Member of the Board for Phelps Dodge. He was on the Board from 1966 to 1994 and acted as its chairman from 1975 to 1987.
. In 1988 he became the Chairman of the Board of Trustees but only served for three years amid a turbulent time in Dartmouth's alumni/ae dissatisfaction. In August 2001, George Munroe donated his papers from his time as the Board Chairman to the Dartmouth College Library
for historical archiving purposes. They are of special interest to the school due to the era in which they were written, which was one of turmoil.
. He attended Joliet Township High School
and graduated from there in 1939. Munroe's father was George Muller Munroe and his mother was Ruth Barber. He had two sons, George Taylor and Ralph W. Taylor, by his first wife Helen Taylor. They were married from June 22, 1945 until getting divorced in 1964. Munroe remarried on May 30, 1968, to Elinor Bunin. Today he is fully retired.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
veteran, Rhodes scholar, lawyer, and former CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Phelps Dodge Corporation.
College
Munroe, who was both very intelligent and a gifted basketball player, matriculated at Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in the fall of 1939. He played on the Big Green basketball team from 1940–41 to 1942–43, where as junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
he was honored as a consensus Second Team All-American
1942 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1942 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Helms Athletic Foundation, Converse, Madison Square Garden, and Pic...
. A , 170 lb (77 kg) guard, Munroe guided Dartmouth to the NCAA national title game
1942 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page.*...
—the school's first championship appearance—but lost to Stanford
1941–42 Stanford Indians men's basketball team
The Stanford Indians won their first and only NCAA basketball championship in 1942.-NCAA basketball tournament:*West** Stanford 53, Rice 47*Final Four** Stanford 46, Colorado 35**Stanford 53, Dartmouth 38-Awards and honors:...
, 53–38. They finished the season with a 22–6 overall record, largely led by Munroe, who was the 1941–42 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
(Ivy League) scoring champion. In 12 conference games he scored 175 points, good for an average of 14.6 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1942–43, Dartmouth once again reached the NCAA Tournament
1943 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
, but this time lost in the opening round to DePaul
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
, 46–36. They would defeat NYU 51–49 in the East Region consolation game, however, and finish their season with a 20–3 overall record. In the spring of 1943, Munroe graduated from Dartmouth College.
Military, BAA, lawyer, Rhodes Scholar
After graduation, Munroe served in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1943 to 1946. After he was discharged, Munroe played for two seasons in the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(BAA). He spent the 1946–47 season playing for the St. Louis Bombers
St. Louis Bombers (NBA)
The St. Louis Bombers were a National Basketball Association team based in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1946. The team ceased operations in 1950.- Franchise history :...
and the 1947–48 season with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. In his two professional seasons, Munroe averaged 6.1 points in 80 career games.
When his basketball career ended, he enrolled at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
where he earned his LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1949. Shortly thereafter, Munroe was admitted to the New York State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
and became associated with the firm of Cravath, Swain & Moore in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was only with the firm for a short while before enrolling at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, one of the biggest constituent colleges
Colleges of the University of Oxford
The University of Oxford comprises 38 Colleges and 6 Permanent Private Halls of religious foundation. Colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university, and all teaching staff and students studying for a degree of the university must belong to one of the colleges...
of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in England.
In 1951, Munroe received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree and graduated from Christ Church as a Rhodes scholar. Upon returning to the United States he practiced law for several years, but then returned to Oxford and earned an M.A. from Christ Church in 1956. For the next two years, Munroe practiced law in New York, and then in 1958 he joined Phelps Dodge Corporation, an American mining company.
Phelps Dodge Company
In 1962, after spending four years with the company, he was appointed vice president, a position which he held for another four years. Then, in 1966, Munroe took control of the company's daily operations when he was promoted to be its president. After making his way to the very top of the company's ladder by becoming the CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
in 1969, he served as the president and CEO concurrently until 1975, at which point Munroe stepped down as president to focus on his duties as the CEO. He finally retired from the mining company in 1987 but still resumed his seat as a Member of the Board for Phelps Dodge. He was on the Board from 1966 to 1994 and acted as its chairman from 1975 to 1987.
Dartmouth service
Although Munroe graduated from Dartmouth College in 1943, he retained/s a lifelong dedication to the institution. From 1959 to 1964 he was a Class Agent and was awarded the Hood Trophy in 1964 for his efforts. From 1964 to 1968, Munroe was a member of the Alumni Council and the Class Executive Committee, and in 1977, was elected to the Dartmouth College Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees of Dartmouth College
The Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College is the governing body of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. , the Board includes twenty-three people...
. In 1988 he became the Chairman of the Board of Trustees but only served for three years amid a turbulent time in Dartmouth's alumni/ae dissatisfaction. In August 2001, George Munroe donated his papers from his time as the Board Chairman to the Dartmouth College Library
Baker Memorial Library
Fisher Ames Baker Memorial Library is the main library at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The fresco, The Epic of American Civilization, was painted by José Clemente Orozco in the lower level of Baker Library...
for historical archiving purposes. They are of special interest to the school due to the era in which they were written, which was one of turmoil.
Personal
Munroe was born in Joliet, IllinoisJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
. He attended Joliet Township High School
Joliet Central High School
Joliet Central High School is a public secondary school located in Joliet, Illinois. Central is part of Joliet Township High Schools, along with Joliet West and Joliet East . Prior to the opening of Joliet East and West, the school was called Joliet Township High School...
and graduated from there in 1939. Munroe's father was George Muller Munroe and his mother was Ruth Barber. He had two sons, George Taylor and Ralph W. Taylor, by his first wife Helen Taylor. They were married from June 22, 1945 until getting divorced in 1964. Munroe remarried on May 30, 1968, to Elinor Bunin. Today he is fully retired.
External links
- Munroe's complete list of professional activities at NNDB.com
- Munroe's full collection of papers during his tenure as Dartmouth's Chairman of the Trustees