Frank Murphy
44th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In office
1941–1942
GovernorMurray Van Wagoner
Preceded byMatilda Dodge Wilson
Succeeded byEugene C. Keyes
Personal details
Born(1897-05-15)May 15, 1897
Rensselaer, New York
DiedDecember 25, 1944(1944-12-25) (aged 47)
Detroit, Michigan
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseConstance Kirchner
Alma materUniversity of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Frank Murphy (May 15, 1897 – December 25, 1944) was the 44th lieutenant governor of Michigan.

Early life and education

Murphy was born on May 15, 1897, in Rensselaer, New York. In 1920, Murphy moved to Detroit, Michigan. There, he attended the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.[1] In 1921, Murphy was a member of Gamma Eta Gamma.[2]

Career

In 1930, Murphy became an accountant. Under Governor Murphy, Murphy was appointed as state sales tax supervisor.[3] In 1939, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Detroit City Council.[4] In 1940, he was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan. His electoral success was often attributed to the fact that his name was identical to that of the Supreme Court justice, former governor, and mayor of Detroit, to whom he was not related.[5] Murphy served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan of from 1941 to 1942. He was a Democrat. By January 2, 1941, the Republican majority state senate took the power to appoint committees in the state senate away from Lieutenant Governor Murphy, and took on the power themselves. Murphy asked for unity in his first address to the state senate.[3][6]

In 1942, Murphy failed to gain re-election as lieutenant governor.[7] In 1943, he ran in the Detroit mayoral primary election. On October 5, he was defeated by Frank Fitzgerald, coming in fifth in the election.[8]

In June 1944, Murphy pleaded guilty before Circuit Judge Leland Carr to accepting a $2,500 bribe from two distilleries in exchange for using his influence as lieutenant governor to promote Senate Bill 203 in 1941 which lowered the distilling license fee from $5,000 to $1,000.[9][10] At the time of his confession, Murphy was very ill. He died before the court could sentence him.[3][11]

Personal life

Murphy was married to Constance Kirchner. Together they had five children.[5] Murphy was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Murphy was Catholic.[7]

Death

On December 25, 1944, in Harper Hospital, Murphy died due to pneumonia which was complicated by heart problems that he had been suffering from for several months. He was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit.[3][12][13]

Electoral history

Frank Murphy electoral history
Michigan lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary, 1940[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Murphy 110,910 33.46
Democratic Anthony J. Wilkowski 61,092 18.43
Democratic David M. Martin 53,595 16.17
Democratic James L. Murphy 27,704 8.36
Democratic Don W. Canfield 21,491 6.48
Democratic Edward T. Kane 17,539 5.29
Democratic Charles J. Rydzewski 14,958 4.51
Democratic Arthur C. E. Strom 14,341 4.33
Democratic Frank J. Borka 9,807 2.96
Democratic Write-ins 5 0.00
Total votes 331,442 100
Michigan lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1940[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Murphy 994,583 50.3
Republican Eugene C. Keyes 974,782 49.29
Socialist Charles Walter 4,206 0.21
Communist Benjamin J. Faulkner 2,398 0.12
Prohibition LeRoy M. Lowell 1,131 0.06
Socialist Labor James C. Horvath 739 0.04
Write-ins 1 0.00
Total votes 1,977,840 100
Michigan lieutenant gubernatorial Democratic primary, 1942[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Murphy (incumbent) 156,476 99.98
Democratic Write-ins 38 0.02
Total votes 156,514 100
Michigan lieutenant gubernatorial election, 1942[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Eugene C. Keyes 638,304 54.5
Democratic Frank Murphy (incumbent) 525,096 44.83
Prohibition E. Harold Munn 7,912 0.68
Write-ins 4 0.00
Total votes 1,171,316 100

References

  1. ↑ "Former Lt. Governors". Michigan. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Here and Now". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 7 October 1943. p. 21. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Former State Official Dies". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 27 December 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "15 Candidates File for Mayor, A Record Field". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 5 September 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Murphy Bribe Denied by Wife". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 4 June 1944. p. 3, 8. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "GOP Declares War at Lansing". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 2 January 1941. p. 1, 6. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Murphy, E to F". Political Graveyard. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  8. ↑ "FitzGerald Tops Field By 37,603". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 6 October 1943. p. 11. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  9. ↑ "Gov. Kelly Asks State Bar for Study of Legislature". The daily monitor leader. Mount Clemens, Michigan. 29 June 1944. p. 12. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Morris, Frank (4 June 1944). "Former Lt. Gov. Murphy Indicted". Detroit evening news. Detroit, Michigan. p. 1. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  11. ↑ "Murphy Tells Part in Graft". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 6 June 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Lt. Gov. Frank Murphy". Detroit evening times. Detroit, Michigan. 28 December 1944. p. 12. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  13. ↑ "Death Claims Probe Figure". Lansing State Journal. December 26, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 Michigan Secretary of State (1941). Michigan manual. 1941-42 – via HathiTrust.
  15. 1 2 Michigan Secretary of State (1943). Michigan manual. 1943-44 – via HathiTrust.
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