Guide to the Robert and Nancy Murphy Papers
Record Group 083
Date Span: 1892 - 1988
Extent: 2.34 cu. ft.
Biographical Note: Robert Clarence Murphy was born on February 11, 1916 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He and Nancy Myrtle Beets married on November 29, 1939. Serving with United States Naval Reserve 106th Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) during World War II, Robert achieved the rank of machinist mate third class. In 1954, he became an aircraft mechanic at Fort Rucker, so he and Nancy moved to Newton, Alabama. Robert served as deacon of the Newton Baptist Church, Chairman of the Newton Housing Authority and as a member of Newton Town Planning Committee. He died August 27, 1988 and is buried in Newton City Cemetery.
Nancy Myrtle (Beets) Murphy was born May 2, 1916, in Chickasha Oklahoma. After working at a defense plant and brokerage firm in Los Angeles, California, during World War II, Nancy returned to Chickasha, Oklahoma, earning her teaching certificate in 1956. Moving to Newton, Alabama, in 1956, she taught social studies at Ozark Carroll High School, ran for the Newton City Council in 1972 and was the owner of M & M Ceramics. Nancy died October 3, 1993, and is buried in Newton City Cemetery.
Scope/Content: Collection documents the lives of Robert Clarence Murphy and Nancy Myrtle (Beets) Murphy from 1938 - 1988. Born, raised and marrying in Chickasha, Oklahoma, the couple later moved to Newton, Alabama in 1954. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence: letters, cards and postcards between Robert and Nancy Murphy. Of particular note are letters written between Robert and Nancy during World War II [1943 - 1945.] Also in the collection are family documents, family financial records, newspaper clippings and photographs. Documents involving Robert Murphy's WWII military career as well as Nancy Murphy's teaching material, original poems, and drawings are included. Contained within the collection are documents on Nancy's bid for Newton's City Council in 1972, ownership of M & M Ceramics and research on the history of the Beets and Marlow families of Chickasha, Oklahoma. This family history research includes books, documents and photographs on the Marlows of Oklahoma.
Organization: Organized into four series:
Series 1. Correspondence, 1938-1980 (23 folders): Includes correspondence to Robert Murphy and to Nancy Murphy. Arranged by recipient, then chronologically.
Series 2. Personal Papers, 1916 – ca. 1972 (17 folders): Includes family documents, Robert Murphy's WW II military documents, Nancy Murphy's teaching material and artwork. Arranged alphabetically by topic.
Series 3. Marlow Family History, 1800s – 1970 (4 folders): The Marlow Brothers are Oklahoma folk heroes from the late 1880s. Includes photocopy from family Bible, reproduced family pictures and book, Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days.
Series 4. Artifacts, n.d. (2 "shoe" boxes): Postcards, greeting cards, and ephemera
Provenance: Ms. King purchased the Murphy house in Newton ca. 1996 at a government auction. The Murphy materials were stored both in a crawlspace and the attic of the house. After moving to Dothan, Ms. King donated these materials to the The Wiregrass Archives.
Processing: No original order, so The Wiregrass Archives staff organized the collection into four series to facilitate access. Correspondence is arranged by recipient. Personal papers are arranged alphabetically by topic.
Preferred Citation: Robert and Nancy Murphy Papers, RG 083. Wiregrass Archives, Troy University--Dothan Campus, Dothan, AL.
Date processed: 8-2008
Processed By: B. Strickland
INVENTORY
Series 1: Correspondence, 1938-1980 (23 folders): Includes correspondence to Robert Murphy and to Nancy Murphy. Arranged by recipient,
then chronologically.
File ID File Title
083-08-0613-001-001.1 Correspondence to Robert Murphy, Jan 13, Sept 2 -- Oct 31, 1943
083-08-0613-001-001.2 Correspondence to Robert Murphy, Nov 1 -- Dec 20, 1943
083-08-0613-001-002 Correspondence to Robert Murphy Jan 2, 1944 - Dec 31, 1944
083-08-0613-001-003 Correspondence to Robert Murphy Jan 1, 1945 - March 31, 1945
083-08-0613-001-004 Correspondence to Robert Murphy April 1, 1945 - Oct 28, 1945
083-08-0613-001-005 Correspondence to Robert Murphy Jan 31, 1950 - May 20, 1955
083-08-0613-001-006 Correspondence to Robert Murphy June 2, 1955 - Dec 17, 1955
083-08-0613-001-007 Correspondence to Robert Murphy Jan 2 1956 - Dec 10, 1956
083-08-0613-001-008 Correspondence to Robert Murphy n.d.
083-08-0613-001-009 Correspondence to Robert Murphy Incomplete Letters
083-08-0613-001-010 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Nov 18, 1936 - Dec 24, 1943
083-08-0613-001-011 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Jan 1, 1944 - Oct 26, 1944
083-08-0613-001-012 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Oct 27, 1944 - Dec 31, 1944
083-08-0613-001-013 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Jan 21, 1945 - June 27, 1945
083-08-0613-001-014 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy June 28, 1945 - Dec 20, 1948
083-08-0613-001-015 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy May 17, 1949 - July 11, 1949
083-08-0613-001-016 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy July 5, 1949 - Dec 30, 1949
083-08-0613-002-001 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Jan 11, 1950 - Dec 22, 1955
083-08-0613-002-002 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Jan 16, 1956 - Sept 2, 1980
083-08-0613-002-003 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy n.d.
083-08-0613-002-004 Correspondence to Nancy Murphy Incomplete Letters
083-08-0613-002-005 Correspondence to Murphy Family 1974
083-08-0613-002-006 Correspondence to Beets Family 1944, 1949, 1967
Series 2: Personal Papers, 1916 – ca. 1972 (17 folders): Includes family documents, Robert Murphy's WW II military documents, Nancy Murphy's teaching material and artwork. Arranged alphabetically by topic.
File ID File Title
083-08-0613-002-007 Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy: Birth Certificate, High School Diploma, Marriage License, Death Certificate
083-08-0613-002-008 Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy Financial Records
083-08-0613-002-009 Robert Murphy and Nancy Murphy Miscellaneous
083-08-0613-002-010 Robert Murphy Military Service 1943 - 1945
083-08-0613-002-011 Robert Murphy Miscellaneous (includes 1965 contract between IAMAW and Page Aircraft, Inc.)
083-08-0613-002-012 Nancy Murphy Address Book
083-08-0613-002-013 Nancy Murphy City Council Election 1972
083-08-0613-002-014 Nancy Murphy Drawing
083-08-0613-002-015 Nancy Murphy Short Stores and Poetry
083-08-0613-002-016 Nancy Murphy Teaching Material
083-08-0613-002-017 Nancy Murphy Miscellaneous
083-08-0613-002-018 Beets Family Documents 1916 - 1968
083-08-0613-002-019 Beets Family Newspaper Clippings
083-08-0613-002-020 M and M Custom Ceramics
083-08-0613-002-021 Church Programs and Directories 1949 - 1972 [bulk 1949 - 1952], Chickasha, OK, and California.
083-08-0613-002-022 Chickasha, Oklahoma Telephone Directory 1956
083-08-0613-MD6-001 Teaching Material, Drawing Material, Diploma (Nancy) and Artwork
Series 3. Marlow Family History, 1892s – 1970 (4 folders): The Marlow Brothers are Oklahoma folk heroes from the late 1880s. Includes photocopy
from family Bible, reproduced family pictures and book, Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days.
File ID File Title
083-08-0613-002-023 Marlow Photographs and Artifacts [Marlow Brothers were folk heroes in Oklahoma]
083-08-0613-002-024 3 versions of Life of the Marlows: A True Story of Frontier Life of Early Days as Related by Themselves (1892 and 1979)
083-08-0613-002-025 "Story of the Marlow Boys" - True West [Magazine], Jan/Feb 1962
083-08-0613-002-026 Marlow [Photocopy Page of Bible] Births and Marriages, 1800's
Series 4: Artifacts, n.d. (2 "shoe" boxes): Postcards, greeting cards, and ephemera.
File ID File Title
083-08-0613-003-001 Various Postcards and Greeting Cards
083-08-0613-004-001 Miscellaneous Envelopes, paper clips, pen tips, ephemera
Contact Us
Wiregrass Archives
Troy University Dothan Campus
Everett 128
502 University Dr.
Dothan, AL 36303
Phone: 334-983-6556 x21327
Email: wiregrassarchives@troy.edu