Biographical Text
Professor Emeritus of Secondary Education Joseph Long Murphy, III (October 27, 1924-), was born in Hickory, North Carolina, the son of Jessica Trent-Donaldson and Joseph Long Murphy. His mother was a professional designer, and his father, was an attorney. He has one younger brother, George, who is an industrial executive. Murphy's grandfather, Dr. Joseph Long Murphy, was a theologian, a scholar of Hebrew and Greek, and a college president. Before entering college, Murphy prepped at the Darlington School for Boys, Rome, Georgia, and was a page in the United States Senate. He attended the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee (1942-43), and then enlisted in the United States Air Corps, serving for three-and-a-half years in the European Theater of Operations. Upon his discharge from service, Murphy returned to Sewanee to continue his education, and, in 1948 he transferred to Stetson University, receiving his A.B. degree in English in 1950. For his graduate work, Murphy chose Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and gained his M.A. degree in English in 1951. From 1951 to 1954, Murphy served as a teacher in the Hickory city schools. In 1954, he was selected by the United States State Department as an exchange teacher and taught in Japan for a year. He returned to Hickory the following year and taught in the city schools until 1958, at which time he went to Stuttgart, Germany, as chair of the Department of Foreign Studies at the Geoppingen Hohere Schule. In 1960, Murphy accepted a position at the Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, as chair of the Department of English. He taught there until 1964 and then accepted a position at Appalachian State Teachers' College (now Appalachian State University) in the Department of Education. In 1970, Murphy was chosen by Chancellor Wey to direct the first alumni tour of Europe. He later directed the Appalachian State's Classical Studies Summer Program at the University of London in 1974. That same year, Murphy was awarded the Appalachian Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1979, he represented the university at the International Teaching Centers Conference in Melbourne, Australia. For eight years prior to his retirement, he served as director of the Appalachian/Charlotte-Mecklenburg Teaching Center. Murphy was active on several committees and was busy with research activities as well. He was a member of the following organizations: Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Gamma Mu, National Council of Teachers of English, American Classical Society, English Speaking Union, and the National Education Association. After twenty years of service to Appalachian State, Murphy retired in 1984, and he received emeritus status the same year. In retirement, he lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Extensive travels have taken him to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa five times-trips to Scandinavia, eastern Europe, Ireland, England, Scotland, Israel, and Egypt. On cruises, Murphy has traveled to Alaska and to the southern Mediterranean; he has also been on a recent, most enjoyable cruise to Rio, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, the Falkland Islands, around the tip of the South American continent and up through the Chilean fjords to Santiago and home. Sources: Appalachian State University files and personal interviews. -Dr. Richard D. Howe
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