Robert M. Murphy

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Robert M. “Mother” Murphy (December 17, 1878 – July 4, 1925) was a college administrator at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the college in 1906 and then spent his career there (1906–1925) as the student solicitor and graduate manager for the football team, a role similar to today’s athletic director. Murphy helped build the Presidents into a national powerhouse.

President James D. Moffat credited Murphy with increasing college enrollment by about 9%. In 1910, with the football program in debt, the Student Athletic Committee proposed a $1 per term fee to fund the team. Murphy convinced the student body to approve the idea. In 1912, he recruited Bob Folwell from Lafayette College to be head coach, launching an era of football dominance for Washington & Jefferson.

The peak came in the 1921 season, when the Presidents were invited to the 1922 Rose Bowl. Murphy even mortgaged his home to pay for his team’s cross-country trip. He died on July 4, 1925.

Football historian E. Lee North wrote about Murphy in The Incredible Bob Murphy, noting how Murphy arranged games with top teams such as Pitt, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Notre Dame, Army, Navy, Penn, Penn State, and Syracuse. He attracted famous coaches and players, including Earl “Greasy” Neal, John W. Heisman, Andy Kerr, Sol Metzger, Dave Morrow, and Bob Folwell. Pete Henry and Bill Amos later became coaches, with Henry serving as athletic director for many years.

In 1936, on Mother’s Day, Washington & Jefferson College honored Murphy’s memory with a day of service. The college now presents the Robert M. Murphy Award to graduates who have made outstanding contributions to athletics after graduation, usually presented during the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Rule, Hughes, and Murphy Prize honors sophomores for academic achievement, promise, and leadership potential, and includes a $2,000 cash prize.