Bruce C. Murray is a Professor Emeritus of Planetary Science and Geology at Caltech and former Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He received his PhD in Geology from MIT in 1955 and was employed by Standard Oil of California, the USAF, and the United States Civil Service before joining Caltech in 1960. He became an associate professor in 1963, a full professor in 1969, and a professor emeritus in 2001.

With Carl Sagan and Louis Friedman, Murray founded The Planetary Society. He also served a term as its chair. Murray was the recipient of the 1997 Carl Sagan Memorial Award. In 2004, Murray was awarded the Telluride Tech Festival Award of Technology in Telluride, Colorado. Asteroid 4957 Brucemurray is named for after him.