murray gell-mann (september 15, 1929 – may 24, 2019) was an american physicist who received the 1969 nobel prize in physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. he was the robert andrews millikan professor of theoretical physics emeritus at the california institute of technology, a distinguished fellow and co-founder of the santa fe institute, professor in the physics and astronomy department of the university of new mexico, and the presidential professor of physics and medicine at the university of southern california.