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Size | 23.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 12000 items) |
Abstract | Richard J. Murphy, Assistant Postmaster General, Democratic National Committee leader, and corporate executive, was born in 1929 in Baltimore, Md. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1951. In 1952, he was elected national president of the National Student Association. Murphy was Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, 1961-1969, encouraging the hiring and promotion of minorities and testifying in defense of desegregation at a 1963 reverse discrimination investigation in Dallas, Tex. Upon retirement, he became assistant to the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Lawrence F. O'Brien. He attended every Democratic National Convention from 1952 to 2000, supervising security committees at seven conventions. He was general director of the 1972 convention. In 1970, Murphy co-edited a book about labor relations with public employees. During his career, he also was vice president of Time Warner Cable and director of government affairs for Unisys Corporation. Murphy died in 2006. The collection contains materials relating to Murphy's work with the United States Post Office Department, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Party, Unisys Corporation, and the National Student Association, among other activities. Correspondence, speeches, press releases, and other items relate to Murphy's tenure as Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, including material relating to Murphy's participation in a 1963 reverse discrimination hearing. Democratic Party materials reflect Murphy's role as assistant to the chair of the Democratic National Committee and his work as supervisor of the security committees. There are audiocassette tapes containing information regarding security at the 1988 convention; convention and campaign materials; and buttons, posters, and memorabilia. National Student Association materials include correspondence about the Central Intelligence Agency's influence over the organization. Unisys Corporation materials consist primarily of issues of Murphy Memo and Public Sector . An original draft of a 1960 speech that Murphy co-authored in which presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first mentioned his intention to form the Peace Corps, materials related to Allard K. Lowenstein's death, and other items are also included. |
Creator | Murphy, Richard J. (Richard James), 1929- |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Margaret Dickson, September 2006
Encoded by: Margaret Dickson, September 2006
Updated by: Nancy Kaiser, January 2021; Anne Wells, February 2022
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Richard J. Murphy was born in 1929 in Baltimore, Md. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina in 1951. While at UNC, Murphy was a member of the Golden Fleece and president of the North Carolina State Student Legislature. In 1952, he was elected national president of the National Student Association.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Murphy to the position of Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, a position he held until 1969. During his tenure, he encouraged the hiring and promotion of minorities. In 1963, he testified in defense of desegregation at a reverse discrimination investigation in Dallas, Tex. Upon retirement, Murphy became assistant to the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Lawrence F. O'Brien. In 1972, his office at the Watergate complex was broken into in what is regarded as the first Watergate break-in. Murphy attended every political Democratic National Convention from 1952 to 2000 and supervised the security at seven conventions. He also served as general director of the 1972 convention and was a member of six site-selection committees.
In 1970, Murphy co-edited The Crisis in Public Employee Relations , about labor relations with public employees. During his career, he was also vice president of Time Warner Cable and director of government affairs for Unisys Corporation.
Murphy died in 2006 at the age of 76 in Bethesda, Md.
Back to TopThe papers of Richard J. Murphy contain materials relating to his work with the United States Post Office Department, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Party, Unisys Corporation, and the National Student Association, among other activities. Correspondence, speeches, press releases, and other items relate to Murphy's tenure as Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, including material relating to Murphy's participation in a 1963 reverse discrimination hearing. Democratic Party materials reflect Murphy's role as assistant to the chair of the Democratic National Committee and his work as supervisor of the security committees. There are audiocassette tapes containing information regarding security at the 1988 convention; convention and campaign materials; and buttons, posters, and memorabilia. National Student Association materials include correspondence about the Central Intelligence Agency's influence over the organization. Unisys Corporation materials consist primarily of issues of Murphy Memo and Public Sector. An original draft of a 1960 speech that Murphy co-authored in which presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first mentioned his intention to form the Peace Corps, materials related to Allard K. Lowenstein's death, and other items are also included.
Back to TopMaterials relating to Murphy's tenure as Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, 1961-1969. Items include transcripts of speeches, notes, drafts, correspondence, flyers, press releases, article clippings, United States Senate statements, written responses to policies, information regarding executive orders, memos, plans for periods of civil disorder, and drafts of executive orders. Also included is information relating to Murphy's participation in a reverse discrimination hearing in 1963.
Note that original file folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Materials relating to Murphy's positions as assistant to the chair of the Democratic National Committee, Lawrence F. O'Brien, as general director of the 1972 Democratic National Convention, and as supervisor of security commitees at seven Democratic National Conventions, and other items relating to the Democratic Party. Materials include speeches, memos, polls, canvassing materials, correspondence, agendas, security information, meeting arrangement information, newspaper clippings, cabinet lists, campaign manuals, platform materials, reports, schedules, convention center maps and plans, reports, calendars, committee reports, news briefs, publications, and a series of audiocassette tapes containing information regarding security at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. The series also contains Murphy's collection of campaign buttons, posters, bumper stickers, and convention tickets, passes, pins and medals.
Correspondence regarding Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) influence over the National Student Association (NSA), publications associated with the NSA or the University of North Carolina, notebooks, handbooks, drafts of speeches, minutes of meetings, reports, and articles.
Box 40-42
Box 40Box 41Box 42 |
National Student Association and related materials |
Issues of Public Sector and Murphy Memo (newsletters regarding politics and business) and a notebook about the Unisys Corporation.
Box 42-43
Box 42Box 43 |
Unisys Corporation materials |
Box 43-46
Box 43Box 44Box 45Box 46 |
Other papersCorrespondence, invitations to inaugural events, resumes, biographies, schedules, articles, materials relating to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, materials relating to Allard K. Lowenstein's death, materials relating to the National Governor's Association, interview and oral history transcripts, and a signed 1919 letter from General John L. Pershing to Brigadier General Meriwether L. Walker. |
Audiodisc D-5209/1 |
"Star Spangled Freedom Plan 1957: US Savings Bond and Freedom Shares"": Address by Postmaster General Lawrence F. O'Brien, 33-1/3 rpm |
Audiodisc D-5209/2-3
D-5209/2D-5209/3 |
"Democrats for All America," H. Jackson Brown, 33-1/3 rpm |
Audiodisc D-5209/4 |
"Los Renes: Musica del Recuerdo," Montes-LaFuente, 33-1/3 rpm |
Image Folder P-5209/1 |
Photographs: Three Richard J. Murphy photographs, one at graduation; slides from McGovern/Shriver Democratic National Convention; photograph of unidentified students |
Film F-5209/1 |
"A Day int he Life of Dick Murphy"16mm motion picture film |
Videotape VT-5209/1-2
VT-5209/1VT-5209/2 |
[unidentified video recordings]1" Open Reel Video |
Oversize Paper Folder OP-5209/1 |
"Message of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Nation's New Voters"Original draft version of Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech, "Message of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Nation's New Voters," edited by Archibald Cox with Murphy as one of the authors. This speech is believed to be the first mention of Kennedy's intention to establish the Peace Corps. |
Oversize Paper Folder OP-5209/2 |
One issue of Harper's Weekly |