Background
John McMullen was born in 1918 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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John McMullen
Edit ProfileEducation
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1940 and rose to the rank of commander during a 15-year naval career.
Career
He founded the engineering firm McMullen & Associates, and was the owner of Norton Lilly International a shipping agent now based out of Mobile, Alabama, from 1972 until 2002. He bought the Colorado Rockies and in 1982 moved the team to East Rutherford, New Jersey renaming them the New Jersey Devils. Just before winning the second Cup, McMullen sold the team to YankeeNets.
After his death, the team dedicated the 2005-2006 season to him, wearing a small "JM" patch on their jerseys.
McMullen also owned the Houston Astros for a period of time, buying the team from Ford Motor Company Cr in 1979. Under McMullen"s ownership, the Astros signed Alvin, Texas native Nolan Ryan to Baseball"s first $1 million free agent contract and reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1980.
McMullen sold his interest in the Astros to grocery distribution magnate Drayton McLane in 1993. When Berra was fired as manager of the New York Yankees in 1985, McMullen offered him a job coaching the Astros, which Berra accepted.
McMullen is commemorated in the United States. Naval Academy"s McMullen Hockey Arena, the Academy"s biennial McMullen Naval History Symposium, and the McMullen Seapower Fellowship and Keynote McMullen Seapower Lecture that are associated with the naval history symposium.
McMullen was awarded the Naval Academy"s Distinguished Graduate Award in 2000.
Achievements
Connections
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Born
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Died
September 16, 2005 (aged 87) -
Nationality
United States