Claiborne Deming Named Friend of Education by National Association.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Claiborne Deming, President and CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, is being honored with the Friend of Education Award by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). The national award is given annually to an individual or organization whose primary work may be outside the realm of education policy but whose contributions to education are significant and enduring.

"We are delighted to honor Claiborne Deming as our Friend of Education Award winner. His leadership and the generosity of Murphy Oil are shining examples of the great partnership between business and education that benefits El Dorado's public school students," said Brenda Welburn, NASBE Executive Director.

Deming is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Murphy Oil Corporation, a Fortune 500, international oil and gas company with exploration, production, refining and marketing operations Under his leadership, Murphy Oil announced in January 2007 the creation of the El Dorado Promise scholarship program, which allows all El Dorado High School graduates who have been at the school since at least the ninth grade to attend the college of their choice with tuition paid by Murphy Oil up to the maximum amount of the highest tuition charged by an Arkansas public university. Claiborne Deming and his board of directors unanimously approved the El Dorado Promise at its December 2006 meeting. "That was the easiest decision they made that day," said Deming.

Along with his wife, Claiborne Deming also co-founded the El Dorado Education Foundation which has endowed the first chair in a secondary public school (The El Dorado Mathematics Chair). He also established the Murphy Education Program which provides cash rewards to students for high scores on standardized and AP tests; in fact, Murphy Oil also paid for all AP test fees before the state assumed that role. The employees of the firm have also purchased TI-83 calculators for all classrooms at El Dorado High School.

Claiborne Deming is a member of the Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation, a grassroots movement of parents and business leaders working to focus attention on academic interventions for low-performing students and greater accountability for those responsible for helping students meet higher levels of achievement.

Nominated by the Arkansas State Board of Education, the award is being presented at NASBE's national conference in Alexandria, Virginia on October 18.

NASBE, www.nasbe.org, represents America's state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking; advocate equality of access to educational opportunity; promote excellence in the education of all students; and assure responsible lay governance of education.