Richard L. Murphy

Richard Louis Murphy ( born November 6, 1875 in Dubuque, Iowa, † July 16, 1936 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin ) was an American politician (Democratic Party). He represented the state of Iowa in the U.S. Senate.

Career

Richard Murphy's father was the editor of the Telegraph Herald, the newspaper of his hometown Dubuque. There he attended the public schools and two years of high school; because his family but had to rely on another income, he finished his education and started working as a journalist at the age of 15 years. From 1890 to 1892 he did so in Illinois for the Galena Gazette, before he returned to Dubuque, where he was hired as a reporter for the Times -Journal; later he became editor. After the death of his father in 1902 he took over this post then at the Telegraph Herald and kept it until 1914.

In 1913 he was appointed for Iowa in his first public office as tax inspectors ( Collector of internal revenue ), which he remained until 1920. From 1920 to 1931 he worked as a tax lawyer.

Policy

Only later, with almost 55 years, Murphy opted for a political career. He ran in 1932 as a Democratic candidate for one of the two seats in the Iowa Senate. Incumbent was Smith W. Brookhart, but he lost the Republican nomination to Henry Field. When choosing Murphy then had no problems prevail against Field, where the concurrent presidential election played a role. In the wake of the success of Franklin D. Roosevelt over Herbert Hoover achieved several Democrats unexpected or unexpectedly significant successes. He also won approval, by advocating for the end of alcohol prohibition. He thus became only the second Democratic Senator from Iowa since 1858.

In the Senate, supported Richard Murphy decided the policy of the new president. But already on 16 July 1936 he died in a car accident near Chippewa Falls died. His wife, who also was in the car, in serious injury moved to, but survived. With Murphy, the Roosevelt administration lost an important ally in the Senate, especially as his successor Guy Gillette, also a Democrat, the president critical of, and often took a stand against his plans.