Betty S. Murphy
Encyclopedia
Betty Jane Southard Murphy (March 1, 1933 – October 16, 2010) was an American attorney who was the first woman to serve on the National Labor Relations Board
, serving as the agency's eighth chair from 1975 to 1977. She was also the first woman to lead the United States Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division, and co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus
and the Republican National Lawyers Association
.
, to Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Theodore Southard. Her father was a businessman, and she had two brothers (Samuel and Harry). Shortly after she was born, her family moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey
, where she was raised. Samuel became a pediatrician, and Harry a high school teacher. She earned her undergraduate degree at Ohio State University
, and later studied at the Sorbonne
and the Alliance Francaise
in Paris, France. After graduating from college she worked as a freelance
foreign correspondent and later worked for United Press International
as its reporter in Washington, D.C.
, where her coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court
fostered an interest in law. She ultimately enrolled at Washington College of Law
and was awarded a law degree in 1958.
. In 1967, Murphy represented syndicated columnists Drew Pearson
and Jack Anderson
in a libel suit brought by Senator Thomas J. Dodd
after they published Dodd's personal Internal Revenue Service
tax filings which indicated he had used campaign funds for his personal use. Dodd was later censured by the Senate and lost re-election, and the Supreme Court of the United States
refused to review a lower court's ruling that the suit was improper. Murphy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first female Administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor in its Wage and Hour Division in June 1974.
In February 1975, when Murphy was sworn in to serve as the first woman to chair the National Labor Relations Board, President Gerald Ford
said he chose her as "the most qualified and best respected person" for the job and not because of her sex. The AFL-CIO
declined to oppose her nomination, noting that she had represented both management and labor fairly during her legal career. While on the NLRB, the five-member board handed down rulings regarding rules for collective bargaining
and union organization in the healthcare field, allowing separate bargaining unit
s for clerks, maintenance workers, medical technicians and nurses, in which Murphy cast the deciding vote. Harking back to her journalism career, she cast the only vote against a 1976 decision regarding the rights of newspaper employees to form unions, noting her dissent that the skills required to be a reporter were "the essence of professionalism". She was succeeded as NLRB chairman by John H. Fanning
in 1977 and served on the board until 1979 when she turned down an interim appointment by President Jimmy Carter
.
starting in 1980, Murphy was a trial lawyer who appeared before the United States courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. She received Presidential appointments to serve on the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
. She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus and co-founded and later co-chaired the Republican National Lawyers Association. As of 2006, she was the first and only lawyer elected to the prestigious National Academy of Human Resources. She was chair of several American Bar Association
committees, and named a "Legend of the Law" by the D.C. Bar Association.
A resident of Alexandria, Virginia
, Murphy died at the age of 77 of pneumonia
on October 16, 2010, in Washington, D.C. She was survived by her husband, Cornelius F. Murphy, M.D., as well as by a daughter, a son, and a grandson.
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
, serving as the agency's eighth chair from 1975 to 1977. She was also the first woman to lead the United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
Wage and Hour Division, and co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus
National Women's Political Caucus
The National Women's Political Caucus is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices....
and the Republican National Lawyers Association
Republican National Lawyers Association
The Republican National Lawyers Association was founded in 1985 and is the national organization of Republican lawyers in the United States...
.
Early life
She was born on March 1, 1933, in East Orange, New JerseyEast Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
, to Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Theodore Southard. Her father was a businessman, and she had two brothers (Samuel and Harry). Shortly after she was born, her family moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, where she was raised. Samuel became a pediatrician, and Harry a high school teacher. She earned her undergraduate degree at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, and later studied at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and the Alliance Francaise
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
in Paris, France. After graduating from college she worked as a freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
foreign correspondent and later worked for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
as its reporter in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where her coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
fostered an interest in law. She ultimately enrolled at Washington College of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
and was awarded a law degree in 1958.
Early legal and NLRB career
Pursuing a new career as an attorney, she worked for a year at the NLRB as an enforcement attorney. She left government service and joined the law firm of Wilson, Woods & Villalon, representing clients in 19 states and arguing cases before nine of the 11 United States courts of appealsUnited States courts of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
. In 1967, Murphy represented syndicated columnists Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (journalist)
Andrew Russell Pearson , known professionally as Drew Pearson, was one of the best-known American columnists of his day, noted for his muckraking syndicated newspaper column "Washington Merry-Go-Round," in which he attacked various public persons, sometimes with little or no objective proof for his...
and Jack Anderson
Jack Anderson
Jack Northman Anderson was an American newspaper columnist, syndicated by United Features Syndicate, considered one of the fathers of modern investigative journalism...
in a libel suit brought by Senator Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas Joseph Dodd was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, He was the first Senator censured by the US Senate since Joseph McCarthy in 1954, and was one of only six people censured by the Senate in the 20th century. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd...
after they published Dodd's personal Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
tax filings which indicated he had used campaign funds for his personal use. Dodd was later censured by the Senate and lost re-election, and the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
refused to review a lower court's ruling that the suit was improper. Murphy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first female Administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor in its Wage and Hour Division in June 1974.
In February 1975, when Murphy was sworn in to serve as the first woman to chair the National Labor Relations Board, President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
said he chose her as "the most qualified and best respected person" for the job and not because of her sex. The AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
declined to oppose her nomination, noting that she had represented both management and labor fairly during her legal career. While on the NLRB, the five-member board handed down rulings regarding rules for collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
and union organization in the healthcare field, allowing separate bargaining unit
Bargaining unit
A bargaining unit in labor relations is a group of employees with a clear and identifiable community of interests who are represented by a single labor union in collective bargaining and other dealings with management. Examples would be "non-management professors"; "law enforcement professionals";...
s for clerks, maintenance workers, medical technicians and nurses, in which Murphy cast the deciding vote. Harking back to her journalism career, she cast the only vote against a 1976 decision regarding the rights of newspaper employees to form unions, noting her dissent that the skills required to be a reporter were "the essence of professionalism". She was succeeded as NLRB chairman by John H. Fanning
John H. Fanning
John Harold Fanning was an American lawyer and member of the National Labor Relations Board for a record 25 years . He was the Board's Chair from 1977 to 1981.-Early life:...
in 1977 and served on the board until 1979 when she turned down an interim appointment by President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.
Later legal career
As a partner at the Washington law firm of Baker HostetlerBaker Hostetler
Baker Hostetler is an American law firm based in Cleveland, Ohio and founded in 1916. One of the firm's founders, Newton D. Baker, was U.S. Secretary of War during World War I and former Mayor of Cleveland....
starting in 1980, Murphy was a trial lawyer who appeared before the United States courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. She received Presidential appointments to serve on the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes , an institution of the World Bank Group based in Washington, D.C., was established in 1966 pursuant to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States...
. She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus and co-founded and later co-chaired the Republican National Lawyers Association. As of 2006, she was the first and only lawyer elected to the prestigious National Academy of Human Resources. She was chair of several American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
committees, and named a "Legend of the Law" by the D.C. Bar Association.
A resident of Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Murphy died at the age of 77 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on October 16, 2010, in Washington, D.C. She was survived by her husband, Cornelius F. Murphy, M.D., as well as by a daughter, a son, and a grandson.