John A. Murray serves as Headmaster of Fourth Presbyterian School, a Pre-K through Grade 8 independent school in Potomac, MD.

An educator for 18 years, John Murray was appointed Headmaster of Fourth Presbyterian School in 2008.  He received his B.A. in English and history from Vanderbilt University and his Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) from Dartmouth College.  While at Dartmouth, he wrote his master’s thesis on the history of American higher education from 1636 to 1933.  Entitled The Cross in the Ivy, his work explores the Christian history of the Eastern and Ivy League colleges and how they became secularized.

A retreat and youth speaker as well, John enjoys teaching and training parents, educators, church leaders, and students.  He has written numerous articles on educational issues, historical topics, and media discernment for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Examiner, Tampa Tribune, The Atlanta Constitution, The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), The Des-Moines Register, and Citizen Magazine to name a few.  He is also the writer/director of the award-winning film Think About It: Understanding the Impact of TV/Movie Violence.  Distributed by Active Parenting, his film has been used in schools, prisons, churches, and government programs around the country.

John is a graduate of the Centurions Program and currently serves on the Newseum’s Educator Advisory Board in Washington, DC.  He and his wife Barbara have four children who all attend The Fourth Presbyterian School. 

Email:  jmurray@fourthschool.org
  @john_a_murray