William Tayloe Murphy (May 6, 1901 – November 16, 1962) was an American politician and businessman from Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1940 to 1942 and from 1948 to 1959. He was Virginia State Treasurer from 1942 to 1947.

Early life

William Tayloe Murphy was born on May 6, 1901, in Mount Holly, Westmoreland County, Virginia, to Mary (née Tayloe) and Robert Murphy. He was educated at Alexandria City High School and the College of William and Mary. He was a member of

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 30 ...

fraternity.

Career

Murphy served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1940 to 1942. On June 1, 1942, he was appointed as state treasurer by Governor Colgate Darden, succeeding Edwin B. Jones. In 1948, he served again in the House of Delegates until his retirement in 1959. He was author of the Revenue Bond Act, a plan to finance the construction of a toll bridge system in eastern Virginia. He was chairman of the Chesapeake and its tributaries committee. He also served on the appropriations, game and inland fisheries, and insurance and banking committees. He served on the governor's advisory board and on the state advisory council on the Virginia economy. Murphy was a member of the Warsaw Council and served as president of the Northern Neck State Bank in Warsaw for 20 years starting in 1939. He also served as chairman of the board at the Northern Neck State Bank before 1959. He was a trustee of the University of Virginia School of Business Administration and helped form the Northern Neck Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission. Murphy succeeded Rodney M. Coggin as president of Tidewater Telephone Company. He served as president from July 1958 to 1962. He was director of the Virginia Independent Telephone Association, the Virginia Electric and Power Company and Standard Products Inc. He was a member of

VEPCO Dominion Energy, Inc., commonly referred to as Dominion, is a North American power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas t ...

's executive committee.

Personal life

Murphy married Katherine Bradford Griffith of Richmond County in 1924. They had two children, Ann Elmoine and W. Tayloe Jr. He was an Episcopalian. In 1942, he lived in Emmerton in Richmond. In 1961, Murphy was diagnosed with cancer and he died a year later of it on November 16, 1962, at his home in Warsaw. He was buried in Yeocomico Episcopal Church Cemetery in Kinsale.

Awards

In 1961, Murphy was named Richmond County's outstanding citizen by the Richmond County Ruritan Club.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, W. Tayloe 1901 births 1962 deaths People from Westmoreland County, Virginia People from Warsaw, Virginia College of William & Mary alumni American bank presidents Members of the Virginia House of Delegates State treasurers of Virginia 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American legislators 20th-century Virginia politicians