An excerpt from his obituary in the Washington Post:
[H]e immersed himself in the field of historic preservation, taking up the banner of a budding campaign to save the country’s colonial farmhouses, Civil War battlefields, Victorian mansions and Old West saloons from the crush of development.
As entire city blocks were razed in urban renewal projects, interstate highways were paved across the countryside and architectural marvels such as New York’s original Penn Station were demolished to make way for bigger, newer structures, Dr. Murtagh helped lead a growing resistance effort that culminated in the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.More about Dr. Murtagh: https://www.google.com/search?q=william+j+murtagh
