William H. Murphy Sr.
*William H. Murphy, Sr. was born on this date in 1917. He was a Black lawyer, judge, and community activist.
He was born into the Baltimore Black elite. His life was spent upholding the rights of the underprivileged. His concern for others came from his parents- both politically and socially active. His paternal grandfather, John Murphy, founded the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. His father, Carl Murphy, worked as a high school principal and was extremely involved in various community organizations, including the NAACP and the Urban League.
After graduating from Oberlin College in 1939, Murphy enrolled at the University of Maryland Law School. He was the third Black student enrolled there. The University president even attempted to dissuade Murphy from attending by offering to pay for his tuition and expenses at Harvard Law School.
Rejecting this offer, Murphy continued his studies at the University of Maryland Law School for two years until he was drafted to fight in World War II. He completed his J.D. in 1946 and went into private practice in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, where he and his wife, Madeline, lived. Murphy and his family continued as active members of the Cherry Hill community until 2003. In 1970, Murphy won a seat on the Maryland District Court, where he continued as an active retired judge.
Murphy was chairman of the board of Provident Hospital, a member of the Elks and Alpha Phi Alpha, and the father of five children. Judge Murphy, a progressive force in Baltimore, Maryland, society for over a half-century, passed away on May 22, 2003.
