Keelung Hong & Stephen O. Murray, Philanthropist Award

November 14, 2024

James Madison College

The Philanthropist Award is presented to individuals, families, associations, corporations or foundations with a proven record of providing major, ongoing financial support and leadership to MSU and whose generosity inspires others. 

Stephen O. Murray was a distinguished sociologist, anthropologist and independent scholar whose work profoundly impacted the fields of social sciences, particularly in the study of homosexuality across cultures and history. His journey into academia began at James Madison College at MSU with a double major in Social Psychology and Justice and Morality and Constitutional Democracy. His life partner, Keelung Hong is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of TLC BioSciences, a biopharmaceutical company. Together since 1981, Stephen and Keelung were avid international travelers and patrons of the arts, deeply involved in each other’s academic and personal pursuits. 

Stephen pursued higher education with a steadfast commitment to understanding human behavior and social structures. He earned his M.A. in sociology from the University of Arizona and completed his Doctor of Philosophy in sociology from the University of Toronto. His post-doctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley further honed his skills in anthropology.  

Throughout his career, Stephen was dedicated to scholarship and writing. His extensive body of work includes studies in sociolinguistics, the history of social sciences and, notably, the social organizations of homosexuality. His landmark books, "American Gay" and "Homosexualities,” are celebrated for their in-depth exploration of gay and lesbian lives across various cultures and historical periods. Throughout his career, Stephen also co-edited numerous collections on homosexuality in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Islamic world and the Pacific, including Taiwan and Cambodia.  

Stephen’s activism was integral to his professional life. In 1974, he was a founding member of the American Sociological Association and played a key role in establishing the Association for Queer Anthropology in 1978. His efforts were driven by a commitment to bringing visibility and legitimacy to lesbian and gay scholars and research within academic circles. 

Keelung pursued his education within the field of science, earning his Master of Science in chemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. From 1979 to 1998, Keelung worked at the Liposome Research Laboratory of the Cancer Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. He later worked as a research scientist focusing on improving cancer therapy at the Pacific Medical Center Research Institute of the University of California, San Francisco. 

In 1997, Keelung founded the biopharmaceutical company, TLC BioSciences, where he is currently the chairman and CEO. In addition, from 1999 to 2005 he served as the Chief Scientific Officer of Hermes Biosciences, Inc. which he co-founded.  

After Stephen passed away in 2019, Keelung worked to find the best home for his spouse’s work. To honor Stephen’s extensive scholarly contributions and his dedication to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, Keelung donated an extensive collection of Stephen’s personal papers and research materials to the MSU Libraries Special Collections, which was renamed the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections in their honor. 

Through his philanthropic efforts, Keelung has ensured that Stephen’s scholarly work will continue to inspire and support future generations of Spartans.  

“Stephen, if you knew him, he didn’t say much. He would read and write a lot but wouldn’t say much. I can only think that he would probably have the same good feelings with this because he was good at doing this kind of thing – helping.” 

 

Author: Anna Ludlow