• Head coach of the Golden Bears football team in 1960-61 and assistant coach from 1978-80.
• Head coach of the U of A swim team (1963-77); Canadian University Swim Coach of the Year (1968).
• A key developer of the Canadian National Coaching Certification Plan and one of Canada's foremost sport psychologists.
• Chairman of sports for the 1978 Commonwealth Games and vice-president of venues for the 1983 World University Games, both held in Edmonton.
• A leader for three decades with the Canadian Red Cross in the areas of water safety, first aid, and small-craft safety.

Following graduation from Eastwood High School in Edmonton and service in the R.C.A.F. in the late stages of World War II, Murray Smith completed a B.Ed. at the University of Alberta in 1948. While an undergraduate he played three seasons with the Golden Bear Football Team, was active in several intramural sports and coached hockey and football at University High School, then housed in Corbett Hall.

There followed a decade of teaching and coaching in Alberta secondary schools in Blairmore and Devon - where he was also Principal for three years -and at Victoria and Strathcona High Schools in Edmonton. As the first coach of the Edmonton Huskies Junior Football team from 1954 to 1958, he led them to a 30-11 won/lost record, two Western Canada Finals and was three times Coach-of-the-Year.

In 1958 he returned to this University to begin a career that spanned more than 30 years in the Faculty of Physical Education. He became a full professor in 1975 and Associate Dean Academic in 1983. During his university coaching career, he served as an assistant football coach for one season, and as head coach for two, culminating in a Canada West Championship in 1962. In 1978, he returned as an assistant coach for three seasons and was running back coach when the Bears won the College Bowl in 1980. A significant contribution to university sport was Murray's role as Head Coach of the Swim Team for 15 years during which time the Bears won eight Canada West championships and placed second in the CIAU championships on four occasions. He was named Coach-of-the-Year in Canadian university swimming in 1968.

His enduring interest in both the practice and theory of coaching, prepared him to play a significant role as the author of numerous segments of the National Coaching Certification Plan, writing on motivation, communication, coaching methods and sport psychology in both the Theory and Technical streams of the program.

But his interest was not restricted to high performance sport. His qualification as a Water Safety Instructor in 1950 marked the beginning of three decades of service to the Canadian Red Cross. This culminated in a five-year term as National Chairman of Water Safety during which he guided a comprehensive revision of the pupil and instructor training systems; completed the job begun by Dr. W.D. (Don) Smith of putting in place a national Small Craft Safety program; and coordinated the design and implementation of a new Canadian Red Cross First Aid program which began operating in the early 1980's.

Under the aegis of the Canadian Association of Sport Sciences, he spearheaded the creation of a National Registry for sport psychologists, educators, and researchers. After completing his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 1974 at Alberta, he was a visiting scholar in social psychology at Oxford, and U.C.L.A. In international sport he served four years as Chairman of Sports for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and was Vice-President Venues for the 1983 World University Games, both of which were held in Edmonton.

Murray Smith's contributions to sport and water safety education have been recognized through the presentation of the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 1977; Operation Lifestyle Award from the Federal Government in 1978; an Honourary Life Membership in the Canadian Red Cross, 1978; and the Award of Honour of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1981.