John Reginald Murphy (born 1933), usually known as Reg Murphy, is a publisher and business executive.

Professional life

Journalism and editing

A native of

Gainesville, Georgia The city of Gainesville is the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the "Poultry Capital of ...

and a graduate of

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

, Murphy began his career in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

with the ''

Macon Telegraph ''The Telegraph,'' frequently called The Macon Telegraph, is the primary print news organ in Middle Georgia. It is the third-largest newspaper in the State of Georgia (after the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' and ''Augusta Chronicle''). Founded ...

''. He became editor of the ''

Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', editor and publisher of ''

The San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corpora ...

'', and publisher and CEO of ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

''. Murphy was president and CEO of the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...

from 1996–1998.

Golf

From 1994–1995, Murphy served as the president of the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

. He authored a

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

Griffin Bell Griffin Boyette Bell (October 31, 1918 – January 5, 2009) was the 72nd Attorney General of the United States, having served under President Jimmy Carter. Previously, he was a U.S. circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fift ...

, ''Uncommon Sense: The Achievement of Griffin Bell''.

Academics

On 2012 he served as Executive-in-Residence at the

College of Coastal Georgia A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

Kidnapping

Murphy was kidnapped on February 20, 1974, at the age of 40, and was freed two days later after the ''Atlanta Constitution'' paid $700,000 ransom. Murphy was well known for his stance against the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and ...

, but the motive for the kidnapping is still unknown. William A. H. Williams was arrested for the crime only six hours after Murphy was released, and all of the money was recovered. Williams was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in jail but served only nine; his wife Betty received probation for not reporting her husband to police. Williams claimed to represent a right-wing militia group called The American Revolutionary Army, protesting against "too leftist and too liberal" media outlets and a government which was a “fraud and a murderer on a mass scale”, and sought to have all federal elected officials resign. On 2019, contacted by a journalist, Williams apologised for the kidnapping.

Family

Murphy has a wife named Diana and two daughters.

References

1933 births 1970s missing person cases 20th-century American journalists American male journalists Formerly missing people The Atlanta Journal-Constitution people American people taken hostage Kidnapped businesspeople Living people Missing person cases in Vietnam People from Gainesville, Georgia The Baltimore Sun people {{US-journalist-1930s-stub