# Murray Harpole

> Murray James Harpole (1921-2011) was an electrical engineer, Pentair co-founder and its first chairman and CEO. His earlier work included the Manhattan Project and management of Alvin research-submarine development. He and his wife, Ruth, supported engineering education at Iowa State, the University of St. Thomas and YMCA Camp du Nord.

- **Role:** Deceased; former co-founder, chairman and CEO of Pentair
- **Organizations:** Pentair, General Mills, Iowa State University Foundation, Iowa State Research Park, University of St. Thomas, YMCA of Greater St. Paul, YMCA Camp du Nord, Rotary International
- **From:** Near Patterson, Iowa, United States
- **Education:** B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Iowa State College (now Iowa State University)
- **Known for:** Helped build Pentair from its 1966 founding into a diversified manufacturer; at his 1991 board retirement it had $1.2 billion in annual sales and more than 8,000 employees., Managed development operations associated with the Alvin research submarine., Received Iowa State’s Professional Achievement Citation and Anson Marston Medal.

## Career timeline

- **1939** — Graduated from Patterson High School; subsequently farmed with his father for a year.
- **1943** — Graduated from Iowa State and began work on the Manhattan Project.
- **1960s** — Managed development work on the Alvin research submarine at General Mills.
- **1966** — Co-founded Pentair and became its first chairman and CEO.
- **1968** — With investor Ben Westby, arranged Pentair’s purchase of Peavey Paper Mills.
- **1975** — Gene Nugent joined Pentair as vice president of operations.
- **1981** — Ended his 15-year tenure as Pentair CEO; continued as chairman.
- **1986** — Retired as chairman.
- **1991** — Retired from Pentair’s board.
- **1992** — Published Living the American Dream: Pentair, Inc. - The First Twenty-Five Years.
- **2005** — With Ruth, received Iowa State’s Order of the Knoll Campanile Award.
- **2011-05-16** — Died at age 89.
- **2019** — Included in Iowa State ECpE’s inaugural Hall of Fame class.

## Achievements

- Helped build Pentair from its 1966 founding into a diversified manufacturer; at his 1991 board retirement it had $1.2 billion in annual sales and more than 8,000 employees.
- Managed development operations associated with the Alvin research submarine.
- Received Iowa State’s Professional Achievement Citation and Anson Marston Medal.
- With Ruth, supported an Iowa State professorship, graduate fellowship and engineering facilities.
- Helped support the purchase and development of Pine Pointe at YMCA Camp du Nord.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Pentair’s official history marks its 60th anniversary in 2026; this is a company milestone following Harpole’s death in 2011.
- **2022-07** — St. Thomas’s July 5 remembrance of Ruth Harpole reaffirmed the couple’s scholarship and Murray’s legacy fountain.

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/murray-harpole
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15