House Speaker Glenn Richardson On Tom Murphy:

(12/21/07) Text of House Speaker Glenn Richardson's eulogy, delivered in the House chamber:

While this service will mark the last time the man known as Speaker Thomas B. Murphy will be physically present in the House chamber, it will NOT be the last time his presence will be felt in here… in this capitol… or, in the State of Georgia.

Instead, the presence of Speaker Murphy will be felt for many generations to come and as long as history is written. He will forever be remembered as a GIANT in Georgia politics. A GIANT who had a strong, firm yet still gentle hand, which he used to guide so many decisions for this State and her people.

Thomas Bailey Murphy
Tom Murphy
Mr. Murphy
Representative Murphy
Floor Leader Murphy
Speaker Pro Tem Murphy
Speaker Tom Murphy
Speaker Murphy
Mr. Speaker
THE SPEAKER

These are all the names and titles given to and earned by this man who cannot be classified as anything less than A GIANT for Georgia.

He was a man larger than life, a political icon, a legend, one of a kind. He was Speaker Tom Murphy.

He had a gruff appearance and seemed to many as a real “tough guy.” Yet, beneath that appearance and behind the face which must be shown to do this job, he was a compassionate person who loved people—especially the old and disabled.

He was firm in his beliefs and convictions, but would listen to other points of view.

Then, he would make the decision necessary and take the shots and criticisms which were leveled against him. Such are the traits of a leader….such are the requirements of a Speaker.

Born in 1924, he lived through the Great Depression and served this Country in WWII. I was three days away from being one year old when this man walked into this very chamber in 1961and took the oath of office as a State representative.

Thirteen years later, in 1974, he stood here where I stand now and took the oath as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. Little did he or the rest of the State know that he was beginning a run as Speaker which would make him the longest serving speaker of a state legislative body in the history of the United States.

Murphy’s biographer, Richard Hyatt, writes, “Tom Murphy was the new speaker of the Georgia house and he was alone. There was no one to counsel him, no one who had been where he was. The only man who would understand the challenge he was facing was George L Smith and he was dead. The ones who came before him could only help so much because their gavel belonged to the governor. Tom Murphy was alone.”

As Speaker Murphy often demonstrated, one must know when to speak and when to remain silent and take fire. One must know when to take a stand and when to retreat. I have only now served in this position as Speaker for three years —barely ten percent of the time Speaker Murphy served—yet I feel the stresses of this job which he most surely felt. I have walked in only a few steps of the long journey he made. Yet, I can say with certainty it is indeed taxing and demanding to be in this position of Speaker.

After three years, you begin to feel the burden of this office. After 29 years, not only do you feel the burden of the office, but, every member of your family does as well.

So, to the family of Speaker Murphy: Children Mike, Martha, Lynn and Mary, daughter in law Carol, son in law Kenny, together with all of the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and all other family members, I know your hearts are heavy with your loss.

But, on behalf of the entire Georgia House of Representatives—current and former members and all staff—we say thank you for your sacrifice in sharing your daddy, father in law, granddaddy, great granddaddy, uncle and your loved and beloved Thomas Murphy not just with us, but with the entire state of Georgia. We understand the sacrifice you have made to let him give so many years and so much of his life to us. And, we thank you for helping bear the burden of this position of leadership for him and for the people of Georgia.

After taking on the job of Speaker in 1974, for the next 28 years Tom Murphy continued to do that which the framers of our state and federal constitution had so artfully crafted. He understood that this process was one of give and take, and he mastered the doctrine of the balance and separation of powers. He liked to call it establishing the independence of the House. And establish it he did!

Speaker Murphy made it his life mission to assert the position of the House – the House of the people – in the policy and budget-making processes of this State. And, he took the Constitutional charge of raising revenue and appropriation of the same by the House as inviolate, as well he should have.

His reason was always to protect the people paying and to take care of those people who could not take care of themselves.

Sitting in this chamber today are many men and women who accompanied Speaker Murphy on his journey. And, though we all have common remembrances on many things, each of us has our own personal recollections and stories of who and what this man was. Such variety is common for a man whose life is so public.

But, whether you are a close relative or friend, a staff member hired by the speaker, a lobbyist who worked with him, a member who never served with him, or a member who served with him a day, a month, a year, a decade, or a lifetime, all of us are here because of one common remembrance. The one common thread that binds us all, the one truth of his existence was that Speaker Tom Murphy LOVED this place we all call the House and he spent a lifetime giving his ALL to it.

Your presence here today in this chamber is the testament of the honor and commitment that you share with each person here and for the LOVE of the House that you shared with Speaker Murphy.

Many have come before us and many will come after us. And, all of us will share the love that this GIANT Speaker Murphy felt of this great establishment--the house of the people-- the Georgia House of Representatives.

Speaker Murphy said many times, “I have always loved a good fight, it makes the world go ‘round.” And when it came to asserting the independence and the role of the House in the appropriations process, he was always willing to stand toe to toe against anyone when he believed he was right, which, by the way, he was most of the time… Governor Miller.

There are now only three living Georgia Speakers . . . former Speaker George T. Smith, and, sitting to my left is former Speaker Terry Coleman.

On behalf of all members of this great body, past and present, we decided to leave the center chair, which is always reserved for the speaker, empty . . . in honor of Speaker Murphy. Speaker Coleman and I agreed that no one should occupy this chair while Speaker Murphy was present.

In rural Georgia colloquialism, we have a simple way of telling people when they have lived up to the expectations of the job they have undertaken. I believe that saying is most appropriate for today. And so, I shall say it: “Mr. Speaker, you done good.”