Kentucky
Jesse was raised in Murray, Kentucky, as part of the 6th generation of Murdock's to farm the land in southwest Calloway County. His father's genealogical record traces back to the first Scots Irish settlers of the area in 1784. The patriarch Andrew Murdock (Jesse's Great-Great-Great-Grandfather) arrived in 1863 and founded Murdock Farms. Contrasting this, Jesse is the first person born in America on his mother's side of the family with his older brother being born in Indonesia, his mother in Saudi Arabia, Oma in Suriname, and the linage beyond that in Holland.
Jesse played basketball with AAU teams, won state art awards with the Jr. Beta Club, received the Outstanding Ambassador Award at the Kentucky United Nations Assembly, was on the school's Academic Team, led BSA Troop 45 as the Senior Patrol Leader and Instructor, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, was voted Most Dependable for his graduating class, and had earned 30 college credits by the time he graduated high school through the Murray State University bridge program.
Being a Murdock in Murray had always felt like a princely upbringing. Several cousins and his older brother had already been through school with the same set of teachers achieving straight A's and excelling in extra-curricular activities. The expectation had always been success, and the potential was limitless given the multigenerational support of his family and community at large. Both of his brothers skipped entire grades like their father had. Jesse was placed in the honors program, advanced math programs of the grade above him, and attended the Commonwealth Honors Academy. He played guitar in the school's jazz band, and bass clarinet in the school concert band, quad-state ensemble, and all-district symphonic band. Jesse also played wrote and recorded music with Shea Pierce and the Beam Brothers (Nate and Luke) throughout their youth.
While Jesse was in middle school, his father moved to Berkeley, California, to continue his career in software development after helping build the company Ag Connections with his brother. Jesse remained in Murray with his mother and 2 younger siblings while his older brother moved to Bloomington to study at Indiana University. His Granddad and Uncle Rick raised him on Ponderosa Farms to be a steward of God's creation, always striving to do the right thing and leave the world better than when we got there. Daily activities involved welding, driving tractors, performing maintenance on equipment, laying irrigation pipes, cleaning the shop, mowing, transporting grain, checking the oxygen and ph. levels of the fish ponds, and bushhogging.
Through a mixture of good grades and scholarships, Jesse was able to attend Murray State University on a full-ride allowing him to graduate debt free. While studying Economics and minoring in studio art, he continued working on Ponderosa Farms to cover the remainder of his living expenses. He performed with the Racer Band on the cymbal line, rushed with Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and served as the Treasurer of the Delta Rho Pledge class. As part of the rushing process, pledges where required to work as stagehands for the Campus Lights production of The Titanic. It was on the stage of Lovett Auditorium that Jesse met his wife who was a stage manager with Sigma Alpha Iota. She walked up to him shook his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Toni Marie! I hear you and me are going to be great friends."
Jesse's response, "Yes, absolutely! What are you doing right after this?"
They've been together ever since and were married in August 2018 at Kentucky Lake State Park.
Jesse was born on his grandfather's 65th birthday and spent a significant amount of time working with and learning from him. Dr. John T. Murdock, Ph.D. was a professor of Soil Science at The University of Wisconsin - Madison for 40 years, spending the entirety of his career working for a single employer. His duties included multi-year agricultural development missions in Brazil and Indonesia. The month after Jesse turned 18, he visited Indonesia with his granddad exploring the islands of Java, Sulawesi, and Bali.
In an attempt to find a healthier cash crop to grow in Kentucky than tobacco, Dr. Murdock converted 45 acres of high clay fields into ponds that were stocked with catfish. Jesse had responsibilities checking ph. and oxygen levels, feeding fish, mending fishing nets, replacing aerator parts, reinforcing pond banks, fixing overflow valves, and Harvesting fish every Thursday morning. Below is a YouTube video created by Jesse's cousin-in-law, Rian Idola, sharing the process of harvesting catfish. Jesse (wearing the Murray State Racers shirt) is featured in the mudline and loader positions:
Political Aspirations
Given his experience growing up between Murray, Kentucky and Berkeley, California; being a sixth generation Kentucky farmer yet first generation American; a Christian descended from a Church of Christ family, but raised Methodist, eventually being baptized into the Episcopal Church while going to a Baptist youth group on Wednesdays. Jesse had developed a keen ability to recognize the truth and common ground in multiple sides of any given issue. Humans exist within several spectrums, but decisions on issues generally boil down to the binary yes or no choice. He is a firm believer in peace, good will, and finding middle ground that doesn't feel compromising to the parties involved. In his first semester of college, Jesse boldly announced his plan to run for Governor of Kentucky in front of the entire 350 member Murray State Racer Band!
Jesse majored in Economics at Murray State University with an emphasis on public policy and a minor in Studio Art. During his final semester, he landed a highly competitive internship with the Budget Review Committee of the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. He worked with State Senators and Representatives to balance the multi billion dollar budget of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The intern class elected him to the position of President of the Senate during their mock assembly and awarded him the Julian Carroll Leadership award. During this time Governor Steven L Beshear, appointed Jesse to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.
"Go after what you truly want in life. Ignore doubt and the fear of failure.
If your intention is good and in line with God's plan, a path to success will present itself.
Even the act of 'trying' to make the world a better place becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."
- Gov. Steve Beshear's advice to Jesse
Murray Kentucky Digital Twin
