John H. Murphy
Encyclopedia
John Hulen Murphy, I a newspaper
man for seventy-four years, was the longtime executive vice president of the Texas
Daily Newspaper Association and the former assistant to the late Richard J.V. Johnson, the president and publisher of the Houston Chronicle
.
Jack Sweeney, Johnson's successor as president and publisher of The Chronicle, declared Murphy "a true newspaper professional, having dedicated the bulk of his professional life to the industry in Texas." Under Murphy's leadership, TDNA increased its membership from thirty-one to ninety-eight newspapers, the largest such organization in any state. Murphy also was a director of the Houston Reading, Education, and Development Commission, a literacy
program.
Murphy was born in Galveston
to Joseph Elmer Murphy and the former Linnie Lovejoy. On his mother's side, he was descended from settlers who arrived in Texas not long before the Texas Revolution
of 1836. As a student at Galveston's Ball High School
, Murphy was torn between his affection for baseball
and journalism
. His work as a sportswriter for the Purple Quill school magazine
attracted the eye of Jack Glenn, the sports editor of The Galveston Daily News. After his graduation, he went to work for the Galveston paper for a salary of $5 per week. He had worked free of charge while he was in high school in order to gain experience.
In 1937, the defunct Houston Post
hired Murphy as a copy editor, but he returned to Galveston in 1938 to operate the Galveston bureau for The Post.
After service in the United States Army Air Corps
during World War II
, Murphy returned to The Post but soon acquired the Citizen Newspapers, a group of neighborhood papers in Houston Heights. Oil
man Glenn H. McCarthy
, the "King of the Oil Wildcatter
s" who also built the Shamrock Hotel
in Houston
bought the Citizen group in 1948. Murphy then became the editor of fourteen small newspapers.
In 1952, Murphy became executive director of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, where he remained until his first retirement in 1984. Shortly thereafter, he joined Richard Johnson at The Chronicle as administrative assistant. He drafted speeches for Johnson and scrutinized other newspapers for ideas. He retired again in 2005.
Murphy was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Houston and served on the committee that established the church's Westchase campus.
He authored several books, two of which were biographies: The Man Who Dug the Well, about publisher Dick Johnson, and The Legend and Legacy of Dr. William H. Hinson (1902–1977), former pastor
of First United Methodist Church of Houston.
Murphy was married three times. His first wife, the former Ernestine "Ernie" Lampson (1913–1977), was an All-American basketball
guard for the "Cardinals" in Durant, Oklahoma
, who moved to Galveston to play for an insurance
company team. The couple married in the home of Murphy's parents on April 29, 1939. The couple had two children: John Hulen Murphy, II (born 1944), of Austin
, and Lynn Murphy Graeter (born 1948) of Houston.
His second marriage, to Virginia Hobson of Houston, ended in divorce
. His third wife, the former Nancy Neal, died in 2003.
Murphy died at his Houston home after a brief illness. In addition to his children, he had three stepsons from his third wife, Todd Neal and Scott Neal, both of Houston, and John Neal, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi
. Services were held at the First United Methodist Church Westchase Campus. Burial was in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
in Houston.
Nelson Clyde, IV, the publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph
in Tyler
, issued this statement on Murphy's death: "John was one of the first people I met in my earliest experience with Texas Daily Newspaper Association. He has been a friend to my father (Nelson Clyde, III
) and grandfather for many years, and we have enjoyed his guidance at TDNA meetings. His vast contacts will surely remember him as a kind and decent person. . . . "
According to Charles Moser of the Brenham Banner Press in Brenham
, the seat of Washington County south of Bryan
-College Station
, "The passing of John Murphy at the age of ninety-four is really the end of an era for the Texas newspaper industry. "He had a huge role in promoting the newspaper industry during a time of great growth when he served TDNA from 1952 to 1984."
The TDNA established the John Murphy Award to honor outstanding copy editors.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
man for seventy-four years, was the longtime executive vice president of the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Daily Newspaper Association and the former assistant to the late Richard J.V. Johnson, the president and publisher of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
.
Jack Sweeney, Johnson's successor as president and publisher of The Chronicle, declared Murphy "a true newspaper professional, having dedicated the bulk of his professional life to the industry in Texas." Under Murphy's leadership, TDNA increased its membership from thirty-one to ninety-eight newspapers, the largest such organization in any state. Murphy also was a director of the Houston Reading, Education, and Development Commission, a literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
program.
Murphy was born in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
to Joseph Elmer Murphy and the former Linnie Lovejoy. On his mother's side, he was descended from settlers who arrived in Texas not long before the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
of 1836. As a student at Galveston's Ball High School
Ball High School
Ball High School is a public secondary school in Galveston, Texas, United States. Ball, which covers grades 9 through 12, is a part of Galveston Independent School District....
, Murphy was torn between his affection for baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. His work as a sportswriter for the Purple Quill school magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
attracted the eye of Jack Glenn, the sports editor of The Galveston Daily News. After his graduation, he went to work for the Galveston paper for a salary of $5 per week. He had worked free of charge while he was in high school in order to gain experience.
In 1937, the defunct Houston Post
Houston Post
The Houston Post was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper was absorbed into the Houston Chronicle.-History:The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson...
hired Murphy as a copy editor, but he returned to Galveston in 1938 to operate the Galveston bureau for The Post.
After service in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Murphy returned to The Post but soon acquired the Citizen Newspapers, a group of neighborhood papers in Houston Heights. Oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
man Glenn H. McCarthy
Glenn McCarthy
Glenn Herbert McCarthy was a wildcatter and a charismatic oil tycoon. The media often referred to him as "Diamond Glenn" and "The King of the Wildcatters". McCarthy was an oil prospector and entrepreneur who owned many businesses in various sectors of the economy...
, the "King of the Oil Wildcatter
Wildcatter
A wildcatter is an American term for a person who drills wildcat wells, which are oil wells drilled in areas not known to be oil fields. A wildcatter notable for his success was Texan oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy....
s" who also built the Shamrock Hotel
Shamrock Hotel
The Shamrock was a hotel constructed between 1946 and 1949 by wildcatter Glenn McCarthy southwest of downtown Houston, Texas next to the Texas Medical Center. It was the largest hotel built in the United States during the 1940s. The grand opening of the Shamrock is still cited as one of the...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
bought the Citizen group in 1948. Murphy then became the editor of fourteen small newspapers.
In 1952, Murphy became executive director of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, where he remained until his first retirement in 1984. Shortly thereafter, he joined Richard Johnson at The Chronicle as administrative assistant. He drafted speeches for Johnson and scrutinized other newspapers for ideas. He retired again in 2005.
Murphy was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Houston and served on the committee that established the church's Westchase campus.
He authored several books, two of which were biographies: The Man Who Dug the Well, about publisher Dick Johnson, and The Legend and Legacy of Dr. William H. Hinson (1902–1977), former pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of First United Methodist Church of Houston.
Murphy was married three times. His first wife, the former Ernestine "Ernie" Lampson (1913–1977), was an All-American basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
guard for the "Cardinals" in Durant, Oklahoma
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
, who moved to Galveston to play for an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
company team. The couple married in the home of Murphy's parents on April 29, 1939. The couple had two children: John Hulen Murphy, II (born 1944), of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and Lynn Murphy Graeter (born 1948) of Houston.
His second marriage, to Virginia Hobson of Houston, ended in divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. His third wife, the former Nancy Neal, died in 2003.
Murphy died at his Houston home after a brief illness. In addition to his children, he had three stepsons from his third wife, Todd Neal and Scott Neal, both of Houston, and John Neal, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
. Services were held at the First United Methodist Church Westchase Campus. Burial was in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Houston.
Nelson Clyde, IV, the publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph
Tyler Morning Telegraph
The Tyler Morning Telegraph is a daily newspaper based in Tyler, Texas, U.S. It is privately owned by the T.B. Butler Publishing Company, Inc....
in Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, issued this statement on Murphy's death: "John was one of the first people I met in my earliest experience with Texas Daily Newspaper Association. He has been a friend to my father (Nelson Clyde, III
Nelson Clyde, III
Calvin Nelson Clyde, III , was the fourth-generation publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper in Tyler, the largest city in East Texas. The business, which was established by Clyde's great-grandfather, has been family operated since 1910.-Early life:Clyde was born in Tyler to Calvin N....
) and grandfather for many years, and we have enjoyed his guidance at TDNA meetings. His vast contacts will surely remember him as a kind and decent person. . . . "
According to Charles Moser of the Brenham Banner Press in Brenham
Brenham, Texas
Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, the seat of Washington County south of Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
-College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, "The passing of John Murphy at the age of ninety-four is really the end of an era for the Texas newspaper industry. "He had a huge role in promoting the newspaper industry during a time of great growth when he served TDNA from 1952 to 1984."
The TDNA established the John Murphy Award to honor outstanding copy editors.