Marvin Hurley Award
About Marvin Hurley
Marvin Hurley, raised on a farm in Arkansas, earned degrees from Arkansas Polytechnic College and the University of Arkansas, where he was honored with distinctions. His career in nonprofit management began in 1935, leading Chambers of Commerce in Tulsa, Lincoln, and serving as Executive Vice President of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Joining the Houston Chamber of Commerce in 1947, Hurley became Executive Vice President in 1951, a role he held until 1966. He also led state, regional, and national professional organizations. Hurley authored several books on Chamber management, with his final book, Decisive Years for Houston, published in 1966, detailing the growth and impact of Houston and the Chamber’s role in bringing NASA to the city.
During his tenure, Houston nearly doubled in population, and the Chamber played a key role in the 1961 announcement of NASA establishing its headquarters in Houston. Hurley’s 1966 memoir recounts his efforts in securing this development, marking a significant achievement for the city.
TCCE Marvin Hurley Award
The TCCE Marvin Hurley Award is presented annually to individuals to whom has contributed greatly to the Chamber of Commerce profession in Texas and the United States as a whole. Evaluation of nominees may include but is not limited to service to their chamber (or multiple chambers), contributions (locally, regionally, state/TCCE or nationally). Other considerations may include career accomplishments in program development, advocacy, organizational development, and technical assistance.
Selection Committee
The selection committee for the Marvin Hurley Award will consist annually of the awards winners of the preceding years. The chair of the committee will be the most recent winner of the award. In the event one of the 3 is not available for judging or is no longer in their chamber positions (or the industry) the TCCE Awards Committee Chair will fill that position. In the event 2 of the committee members are unavailable the Awards Committee Chair and the Vice Chair for Professional Development will fill the roles.