Olga Murray

Founder, Honorary President

Olga Murray (1925-2024) was a beloved humanitarian, activist, and changemaker. Founding the Nepal Youth Foundation in 1990, she devoted her life after retirement to partnering with Nepali communities to educate and empower youth in Nepal. She was known as “Olga Mom” to hundreds of children across communities in Nepal, and served as a shining example that getting older doesn’t mean slowing down.

Born in 1925 in Transylvania, Olga came with her parents and siblings to the U.S. when she was six years old. After graduating from Columbia University, she earned a law degree from George Washington University, where she was one of a handful of female students. Olga worked her way through law school as a researcher and writer for famed muckraking columnist Drew Pearson. With her law degree in hand, she found that few law firms would hire a woman. So Olga knocked on the door of the California Supreme Court, where she became a research attorney for Chief Justice Phil Gibson. When he retired, Olga joined the law staff of the newly-appointed Justice Stanley Mosk. During her 37-year tenure at the Court, Olga helped to write important decisions in the areas of civil rights, women’s rights, and environmental policy.

She retired from the law in 1992 to launch yet another career—empowering children in Nepal. For 34 years, Olga worked tirelessly to serve NYF’s mission of providing life-affirming resources to youth in Nepal. In February 2024, Olga passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at the age of 98, fulfilled with the knowledge that her remarkable work would continue well beyond her own extraordinary lifetime.

Click here to join us in celebrating Olga Murray’s life and legacy.