Dr. Michael Lairmore, Dean Emeritus of the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, has published a biographical feature honoring fellow Dean Emeritus Dr. Frederick A. Murphy, Jr., who died June 23, 2026, at age 92.

Published in the Journal of Virology, “Biographical Feature: Dr. Frederick A. Murphy—a tribute to a pioneer in virology” is a personal reflection on Murphy’s scientific discoveries, public health leadership, and mentorship and influence on generations of researchers, including Lairmore himself.

Murphy trained as both a veterinarian and an infectious disease scientist, earning his DVM from Cornell University and his Ph.D. from UC Davis. His work reflected a commitment to the “One Medicine” concept, now known as One Health, emphasizing the close connections between human and animal health.

During his career, Murphy served as director of the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Infectious Diseases, dean of UC Davis’ veterinary school, and professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He authored more than 500 scientific papers, chaired international virology conferences, edited the journal Archives of Virology and was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.

Murphy is well known for his role in the 1976 discovery of the Ebola virus while serving as chief of the Viral Pathology Branch at the CDC. Using an electron microscope, he captured the first iconic images of the threadlike virus. His research also advanced scientific understanding of rabies, Lassa fever, Marburg virus, coronaviruses, vesicular stomatitis virus and several viral causes of encephalitis.

In the feature, Lairmore describes how Murphy recruited him to the CDC after Lairmore completed his Ph.D. at Colorado State University and how Murphy’s example shaped his career.

“His engaging personality, knowledge of scientific discovery, and his humanity, like many of his protégés, constructively influenced the course of my career. Many years later, I followed him as Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. More importantly, his drive, energy, and scientific knowledge were a model for his trainees, treating us like a family of curious scientists.”

Murphy also became a historian of virology, publishing the visually rich book The Foundations of Virology. His career included national and international public health service, leadership in virus classification and recognition from scientific organizations around the world.

Lairmore concludes that Murphy left “a pioneering legacy of discovery, scientific excellence, compassionate interdisciplinary teamwork, and a spirit of generous sharing of knowledge to make the world a better place for his family, colleagues, friends, and society.”

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