UF student named a Murray Scholar

November 1, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the fourth year in a row, a University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications student has been named a Murray Scholar.

Senior John W. Cox recently earned the prestigious title from the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. Murray helped found Sports Illustrated and won a Pulitzer Prize for his commentary.

“Although I’m not a sports writer, this honor means a great deal to me,” said Cox, who specializes in investigative and in-depth reporting. “Murray was a great journalist and to be associated with him is an inspiration.”

Cox, of Niceville, Fla., plans to attend the Nov. 12 awards dinner at the La Quinta Resort & Club in California, where he will receive $5,000. He’ll join six students from such universities as North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Columbia in being named Murray Scholars this year.

“Students like John are the reason I am so happy to be at the University of Florida,” said one of Cox’s teachers, Mike Foley, the Hugh Cunningham Professor in Journalism Excellence.