Submitted by SF (04/2003); Written & Edited by SS (04/2003), Reformatted by JS (08/2009)
Career
- Competed in Control Line and Free Flight events at the Nationals from 1960 to 1964
- Volunteered at the Nationals for almost 40 years
- Has served as club president and helped organize several modeling clubs in his area
- From 1970 to 1978 served as AMA District VIII vice president and on various AMA committees
- Was an AMA contest coordinator from 1965 to 1970
- Edited his club’s newsletter throughout the 1960s and 1970s
Honors
- 1978: AMA Meritorious Service Award
- 1978: AMA Fellow
The Beginning
Murry Frank started modeling at age 22 in 1945 after watching other modelers fly rubberpowered Free Flight models in the parks of New York City. He didn’t join his first modeling club until 1959 when he joined the Circle Kings model airplane club in Wichita Falls, Texas. Murry remained a member for that club 20 years.
The first model that Murry built was a ½-A Control Line model called Red Devil produced by Scientific. Murry was 29 when he built the model from a kit with his son. He enjoyed flying the model the most and met lots of nice fellow modelers in the big local club.
Competition
Murry began competing at age 36 in 1959 by serving on the pit crew in a club rat race. He placed third in that first competition.
From 1960 to 1964, Murry competed in the Nationals in Control Line and Free Flight events. Aside from competing in the Nationals Murry also volunteered at the Nationals for almost 40 years, covering the time the Nationals were run by the Navy through when the AMA took them over.
Leadership
Murry has been involved with leadership activities in his local clubs as well as within the AMA. He has served as club president and even helped organize several modeling clubs in Kingsville, Texas, and Wichita Falls, Texas.
From 1970 to 1978 he served as AMA District VIII vice president and on various committees in the AMA. He also served as an AMA contest coordinator from 1965 to 1970 and directed the regional Red River Championships.
Publications and Education
While he was AMA District VIII vice president for eight years, Murry wrote a column for his district in Model Aviation magazine. He also edited the newsletter for the Circle Kings model airplane club in Wichita Falls, Texas, throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Murry has also helped to promote model aviation by teaching Delta Dart programs. (signed) Dr. Sanford Frank April 2003
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