Joseph Murphy: a Man Who Doesn't Stand Still Dr
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volume 11 numberI Joseph Murphy: A Man Who Doesn't Stand Still Dr. Joseph S. Murphy, currently president of Murphy has served · as a consultant on economic Queens College of the City University of New York, and community development and education in becomes Bennington's seventh president on Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, India and the Pacific. January 1st. The Board of Trustees voted His professional memberships include the unanimously in favor of a recommendation from American Association of Higher Education, the the Presidential Search Committee, and an American Philosophical Association and the nouncement of Murphy's appointment was of American Association for the Advancement of ficially made on September 22nd. Science. A biography of Murphy reads in part as a Murphy's work for the community includes travelogue. He has brought his academic acuity and membership on the Queens County Art and administrative skill to bear on a broad spectrum of Cultural Center board of trustees, the board of positions, and has unstintingly courted challenge in directors of the Queens Symphony Orchestra, and many capacities. the N.Y. American Red Cross board of directors. He President of Queens since 1971, Murphy also is a board member of the Ralph Bunche Institute on served for a year as New Jersey's Vice Chancellor the United Nations, and recently served as a of Higher Education. Prior posts include a two-year member of the board for Operation Sail, part of term as director of the Peace Corps' outpost in New York's bic'entennial celebration. Ethiopia and service as an associate director of the Murphy is the author of the book "Political Jobs Corps for the Office of Economic Opportunity. Theory: A Conceptual Analysis," and is a con Murphy began his association with the Peace Corps tributor to "The Journal of the History of in 1965 as director of its Virgin Islands Training Philosophy." His doctoral dissertation, "The Theory Center, and later worked as an assistant to the of Universals in 18th Century British Empiricism," secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. was published in 1961. A contributor to the Putting the pieces together, one is struck by the "American Political Science Review," "The Nation," strong political and social concerns which have and numerous other journals and magazines, motivated the 43-year-old college president. This Murphy has written frequently on education, resume juggling act is brought into balance b political theory and philosophy. Murphey's , a .0. from Joseph Murphy Murphy and his wife, Peggy, have been married Brandeis University in philosophy and political 22 years and have three children, Lisa, 17, theory, Murphy has sought contemporary ap Murphy served on Hugh Carey's Task Force on Susanne, 15, and Peter, 7. It's a family, Murphy plications for his own education. Both his masters Higher Education, New York City Council's Com says, which is "not the type to put down roots. and doctoral degrees were awarded by Brandeis, mission on Adult Education, Carey's Task Force on We've I ived all over the world and we get tired of and following graduation in 1961 he spent four Transition, and New Jersey's Scholarship Com living in one place." more years there as an assistant professor. Murphy mission. From 1973 to 7 4, he was president of New The travelogue ends, for the moment, in the completed some work towards his masters at the York City's College Public Agency Council, and from president's office at Bennington College. Joining University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and '73 to '75 vice chairman of the Regent's Regional forces now are a college with a reputation for received his A.B. degree with honors from Olivet Coordinating Council for Postsecondary Education innovation and a man who, quite clearly, doesn't College. in New York City. stand still. The combination looks downright in Frequently sought as an educational consultant, Recipient of a U.S. foreign service merit award, spired. Murphy Meets the Press Dr. Joseph Murphy won't be assuming the of the new president's total devotion to the in chancellor increased the other presidents backed president's office until January, but in a three-day tegrity of an institution he saved from budgetary down; Murphy alone stood his ground." advance visit to the campus early in October he strangulation. Speaking with reporters gathered in Dickinson planted favorable impressions and high ex In 1975, Murphy offered to sell his presidential lounge, Murphy also noted one · reason for the pectations of quality leadership that have many home in Douglaston rather than cut $160,000 from importance of addressing the Bennington budget: people here counting the days till his official the Queens budget, which caused the embarrassed "This place is better off financially healthy because arrival. He had a chance to meet with faculty, Board of Education to let the matter drop. In the fall it can bring in students of every financial and ethnic students and administrators, and the clear-headed of this year, he cut only $1.2 million from the background. I am concerned with increasing capital optimism which greeted him must have been as college's budget, refusing to fire full-time faculty to resources for generating scholarship money." cheering as the beautiful fall weather which graced make the $1.8 million cut the New York chancellor Calling Bennington an "exciting and vital place in his brief stay. of higher education had ordered. Most recently, American higher education," Murphy offered this Responding to questions from several reporters Murphy fought for and won back $2.6 million the impression of the faculty: "All of them bear a gathered for an informal press conference during chancellor had ordered cut. profound commitment to Bennington College. This his visit, Murphy offered candid opinions on a An editorial in the Queens College newspaper is not like anything I've seen before. Their salaries variety of topics. "Phoenix" stated, "Murphy's stay at the college was are low yet their enthusiasm for the college is He made it clear that evaluating the college's characterized by many personal and professional greater than what I've seen at any other college budget will be a priority concern when he arrives in sacrifices. Besides not having time to teach, he has, without exception. They love the place." January, and pointed out that student and faculty time after time, had to put his job on the line to He characterized the college as having "an interests will be paramount in his considerations. protect the college. Last year he and three other unstructured environment in which bureaucratic Though it is far too early to tel I where changes may CUNY presidents agreed to stand up to the restraints don't exist. The faculty are encouraged to be called for, Murphy's recent handling of the chancellor and refuse to cut their budgets as much Queens College budget cutbacks offers an example as he wanted them to. When pressure from the continued on page 2 be creative and productive. They hove so much and can determine where he stands ond where he probably would hove left if things were normal leeway in putting the curriculum together with ought to go in the world.' after five years , a reference to the budget students, ond this freedom is risky business by Responding to a reporter's suggestion that he problems he stayed on at Queens to see through to traditional higher education standards, but it is will be stepping into the presidency at a time when the end. worth it, especially for the students." He summed the college faces problems, Murphy remarked, " I'm An editorial in the Queens paper resolved not to up the college's atmosphere and operation by not here because Bennington is in trouble. Im no criticize Murphy for leaving that institution for what saying, " I don 't know of any place where messiah . This is a worthy place and on Interesting ore undeniably greener pastures, but instead to everything is so geared to the welfore and one . There are hundreds of liberal arts colleges in "warmly thank him for what he has done for the development of its students." this country I wouldn't go near. I wont the in college and its students post , present and When pressed for a near-philosophical comment tellectual stimulation I con draw from Bennington . I future. " on the value of a liberal arts .education by a don 't wont to forget that I have a broin as well as a Citing examples of Murphy 's devotion to the high reporter, Murphy grinned and prefaced his com green eyeshode." ideals that made Queens the undisputed best in the ment by saying he has been asked to distill his Discussing letter grades . which were recently City University system , the paper noted in par views on the subject many times but would attempt eliminated , Murphy remarked, " My natural In ticular his accessibility to students and en yet onother definitive remark. "A great deal of clination Is to give people options. a chance to couragement for some of their challenges of higher education hos as its objective training select either grades or no grades. But the better academic policy. 'Whenever the students needed people to categorize themselves into slots in large graduate schools will take a letter of support about assistance, Murphy was right at their side. During corporate or bureaucratic structures and making a successful student from Bennington because this lost year's student takeover of Academic II the them adapt to this particular social and economic is the kind of place which already has o lot to president agreed with student demands and, environment.