William “Billy” Murphy, Jr.

Billy is the Chief Executive Officer of University Lands. University Lands is a company inside of the University of Texas System that manages 2.1 million surface and mineral acres in West Texas, known as the Permanent University Fund (PUF) Lands. University Lands generates billions of dollars annually for the benefit of 28 higher education and health institutions in Texas within the University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems. Based in Houston and Midland, UL has over 25 active operators (currently developing), about 220 operators that have wells producing on the lands and averages 380 gross MBOE/day (12-month average). UL’s acreage makes up roughly 8% of the total acreage on the Texas side of the Permian Basin. 

Prior to joining University Lands, Billy worked at King Ranch, Inc., where he was a Vice President and Executive Officer handling a variety of responsibilities, including land and minerals, environmental, legal, special projects, and governmental affairs. He previously worked at Bracewell LLP as an attorney in their oil and gas acquisitions and divestitures group. 

Billy grew up in Houston, where he graduated from Memorial High School and received degrees from Texas Tech University and South Texas College of Law. He currently serves as a Commissioner on the Memorial Villages Police Department and on the Board of Visitors for the South Texas College of Law and the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.  

Billy and his wife of 23 years, Margaret, a former elementary school teacher, live in the Memorial/Villages area of Houston with their three children, Will (19), Molly (17) and Griffin (12).