Charles Alan Murray (born January 8, 1943, in Newton, Iowa) is an American conservative political scientist, author, and commentator known for his influential and often controversial works on social policy, intelligence, and class dynamics in American society. He earned a BA in history from Harvard University and a PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Early in his career, Murray worked for the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Washington, D.C., including a stint in Thailand evaluating social programs. In 1984, while at the Manhattan Institute, he published 'Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950-1980,' a book that critiqued welfare programs, influenced conservative policy debates, and contributed to welfare reform efforts in the 1990s. Murray joined the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) as a scholar in 1990, where he continues as the W.H. Brady Scholar. His 1994 book 'The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life,' co-authored with Richard Herrnstein, sparked widespread controversy for its arguments linking intelligence, race, and socioeconomic outcomes, drawing accusations of promoting eugenics and racial stereotypes. Other notable works include 'Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010' (2012), which examines cultural and class divides among white Americans. Murray's ideas, which advocate welfare reform and IQ research, have been praised by conservatives for challenging progressive policies but criticized by liberals and civil rights groups for alleged racism and pseudoscience. He has received awards from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation for his contributions to public policy discourse.