The Murell Family Legacy: Establishing a UNCF Scholarship to Expand Educational Opportunity

In the 1950s, the Murells were among the first African American business owners in Oakland, CA. They built thriving enterprises that reflected their determination and entrepreneurial spirit, establishing a high-end gift shop, several apartment buildings and a social club in the community, during a time when African Americans faced significant barriers.

The late John Melvyn Murell and Lois A. Murell, an alumna of UNCF-member institution Huston-Tillotson University, understood the importance of helping future generations pursue their goals.

“They worked hard in the 40s and the 50s, and they don’t want people to experience what they went through,” said the Honorable Barbara Lee, Mayor of Oakland, the Murells’ niece. “They want these young people to have a new life. Their legacy is about the future—it’s about the next generation making this world a better place.”

When it was time for them to conduct estate planning, the Murells decided that their estate would donate a seven-figure gift to UNCF, establishing the John M. Murell and Lois A. Parish Murell Endowed Scholarship. The fund will provide need-based scholarships to students from Northern California attending an historically Black college or university (HBCU) or other four-year institution.

Their passion for investing in education and creating opportunities for future generations lives on in their nieces, Mayor Lee and her sister Beverly Hardy, who have stewarded the Murells’ gift and preserved their legacy.

UNCF’s dedication to student success aligns with the Murell family’s philanthropic values, explained Mayor Lee. “This is a village,” she said. “We are responsible for the next generation, and UNCF’s mission is making sure that the next generation achieves the opportunities that everybody in this country deserves.”

The Murells were firm believers in the transformative power of education. “Education just meant so much to her,” Hardy recalls of her Aunt Lois. “She would say, ‘If given the opportunity, students would be able to achieve.’ And that was something she just always felt really strongly about, being able to give them the opportunity to go and achieve and make something of themselves.”

Hardy emphasized the ongoing need for scholarships, noting that financial barriers often prevent students from pursuing higher education.

Mayor Lee and Hardy want students to understand the motivation behind these gifts. “I would just like them to know that they’re being awarded scholarships by my aunt and uncle out of love and devotion,” expressed Mayor Lee. She also encouraged students to take initiative and pursue their goals, drawing on lessons from her aunt and uncle’s lives.

When asked what her aunt and uncle would say after seeing their philanthropy realized, Hardy imagined their response: “We did what we wanted to do. We accomplished our goal. This was our goal. This is what we wanted to leave behind. And it’s going to continue on in our names.”

Mayor Lee reflected on what she would say now to her aunt and uncle. “I’d say, ‘OK, Auntie Lois, OK, Uncle Melvin, we’re following your orders. We’re doing what you asked us to do, and it’s about education, education, education.’” Hardy echoed the sentiment: “Following to the ‘T’!”

Donating to UNCF provides an opportunity to establish your legacy—like the Murells have—and support scholarships that change lives. Mayor Lee’s message to prospective donors is that philanthropy represents both a privilege and a responsibility. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” she said.

Help UNCF empower future leaders and transform lives through education. To make a major gift or learn more about the “A Mind Is…”® Society, visit UNCF.org/MajorGifts or call 202.810.0168.