John J. McMullen, Ph.DDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD , for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", or alternatively, DPhil, for the equivalent , is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities...
(1918 – September 16, 2005) in ) was a naval architect and marine engineer, and former owner of the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
. He founded the engineering firm
John J. McMullen & AssociatesJohn J. McMullen & Associates was an engineering firm in the United States specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering focused on the field of naval ship design. Founded in 1957, JJMA quickly grew in size, with offices in Alexandria, Virginia, New York, New York, and other locations...
.
John McMullen was born in 1918 in
Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Jersey City was 240,055, making it New Jersey's second-largest city, behind Newark. As of the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 242,389...
. He married Jacqueline Everhart and had three children: Catherine, John Jr. and Peter. He died at his
Montclair, New JerseyMontclair is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is the 50th largest municipality in New Jersey by population. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 38,977....
home in September 2005.
He bought the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team...
and in 1982 moved the team to
East Rutherford, New JerseyEast Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,716. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles west of Midtown Manhattan....
renaming them the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
John J. McMullen, Ph.DDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD , for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", or alternatively, DPhil, for the equivalent , is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities...
(1918 – September 16, 2005) in ) was a naval architect and marine engineer, and former owner of the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
. He founded the engineering firm
John J. McMullen & AssociatesJohn J. McMullen & Associates was an engineering firm in the United States specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering focused on the field of naval ship design. Founded in 1957, JJMA quickly grew in size, with offices in Alexandria, Virginia, New York, New York, and other locations...
.
Personal life
John McMullen was born in 1918 in
Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Jersey City was 240,055, making it New Jersey's second-largest city, behind Newark. As of the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 242,389...
. He married Jacqueline Everhart and had three children: Catherine, John Jr. and Peter. He died at his
Montclair, New JerseyMontclair is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is the 50th largest municipality in New Jersey by population. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 38,977....
home in September 2005.
Sports teams ownership
He bought the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team...
and in 1982 moved the team to
East Rutherford, New JerseyEast Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,716. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles west of Midtown Manhattan....
renaming them the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He instituted the Dr. John J. McMullen Award in 1984, presented annually to "an individual or individuals who have supported amateur hockey throughout the state". The team won two NHL championships during his ownership, in 1995 and 2000. He later sold the team to
George SteinbrennerGeorge Michael Steinbrenner III is an American billionaire businessman, and owner and the former principal executive of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries have made him one of the sport's most controversial figures...
. After his death, the team dedicated the
2005–06 seasonThe 2005–06 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 23rd in the National Hockey League since the franchise moved to New Jersey. It was the team's first season back after the NHL canceled the previous season, due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The Devils rallied from a poor first half of the season to...
to him, wearing a small "JM" patch on their jerseys.
McMullen also owned the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
for a period of time, buying the team from Ford Motor Company Credit in 1979. Under McMullen's ownership, the Astros signed Alvin, TX native
Nolan RyanLynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and current president of the Texas Rangers....
to Baseball's first $1 million free agent contract and reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1980. McMullen sold his interest in the Astros to grocery distribution magnate Drayton McLane in 1993.
Prior to purchasing the Astros, McMullen had been one of Steinbrenner's limited partners in owning the Yankees. He later said, "Nothing is so limited as being one of George's limited partners."
External links