Roy D. Murphy (1912-1980)

LINE: A1 Johann Michael (Mueller) Miller | B6 Johann Michael Miller, Jr. | C7 Philip Jacob Miller | D4 David Miller | E5 Jacob Miller | F3 John Jacob Miller | G6 Christianna Miller | H3 Dennis F. Murphy

I1 Roy D. Murphy, born February 2, 1912 in Ohio, died November 25, 1980; married Lillabel Finely, born in Columbus, Ohio. Roy was a renowned debate coach and head of the speech department at University of SW Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Mary Cook Haase attended the University of SW Louisiana when Roy D. Murphy taught there. Mary's mother, Ethel Cook, told Mary at the time that Roy D. Murphy was a Miller relative. Mary contributed Roy D. Murphy's obituary (included below).


Murphy Services Friday

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Delhomme Funeral Home for Roy D. Murphy, 68, who died Tuesday in Lafayette.

He was educated in his home state and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio. He completed additional work at both Ohio State University and LSU.

He established the department of speech in 1940 and quickly built a national reputation for the school with an outstanding forensic trem. He served as department head from the inception of the department until his retirement in 1977.

Professor Murphy's professional accomplishments were legion, including various offices in more than eight national, state and regional speech associations. He was the founder of the Louisiana Speech Association, which honored him for leadership and accomplishments in 1967.

He founded the L.S.A. Professional Conference and Speech Festival in 1952. He also served as governor of the Lower Mississippi Province, vice president and president of Pi Kappa Delta National Forensic Society. He was an executive councilman, vice president and president of the Southern Speech Communication Association.

He belonged to numerous honorary organizations including Phi Kappa Phi National Scholastic Fraternity and Blue Key Honor Society.

He was president of the USL Academic Discussion Group and parliamentarian for the Faculty Senate.

He was a contributor to The Southern Speech Journal, The Forensic Speech Activities, The Debaters Magazine and the LSU Newsletter.

His biography appeared in Who's Who in American, Who's Who in the South, and Southeast, Who's Who in American Education, Directory of American Scholars, Leaders in the Humanities in America, and Dictionary of American Biography.

Jane & Patsy Murphy
He is survived by his wife, the former Lil Finley; two daughters, Mrs. Hilton J. (Jane) Langley of Lafayette and Mrs. George L. (Patricia) Brown of Wichita, Kan.; a sister, Mrs. Byron Kennedy of Bellefontaine, Ohio; and three grandchildren.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Professor Murphy's memory to the Roy D. Murphy Scholarship Fund, care of USL Foundation.

Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.

Delhomme Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.


Children of Roy D. Murphy and Lillabel Finely:


Tree Outline of Miller Generations

The Miller Family Tree is a collection of information gathered over the past 50+ years by Karleen & Tom Miller of Morrisville Pennsylvania,
and Gale Honeyman of the Brethren Heritage Center.
The html version was created by Eric Davis.