The Texas-sized impact of Judge Harriet Murphy ’69
Story by Chris Roberts
Art by Laura Salafia
Judge Harriet Louise Mitchell Murphy’s destiny may have been foretold when she found herself in the childhood orbit of Martin Luther King, Jr. “We just called him M.L.,” Murphy once recalled of her friend from the hallways of Booker T. Washington High School.
“It was not unusual for those that came through Atlanta and that environment to become leaders — not only political leaders but just leaders,” Murphy noted. “It made me candid and outspoken and believe in my opinions.”
That was a characteristic understatement for Murphy, who later turned down “M.L.’s” offer of a job with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, believing her calling was elsewhere. That calling turned out to be in East Texas.
She taught government at Prairie View A&M University and threw herself into civil rights and voter registration efforts in Gregg County, Texas. In 1966, Murphy pursued her dream and enrolled at Texas Law. In challenging circumstances — as a widow in her late thirties, running Huston-Tillotson’s government department, and the only Black law student in her class – Murphy nonetheless thrived.
She practiced law in Austin and advocated for opportunity and equality throughout the state. She led the founding of the Austin Area Urban League, one of many organizations benefitting from her savvy leadership. In 1973, Murphy became the first African American woman appointed to a judgeship in Texas.
Judge Murphy was inducted in 2010 into the National Bar Association’s Hall of Fame “in recognition of her community involvement and of the significant contributions she has made to the cause of justice during her life in the law.”
“Looking back on my life, I feel proud to have acted well my part, for there all the honor lies,” Murphy reflected in her 2018 memoir. She added, “Although I wonder how I did it all!”
She just did. And then some.