John Joseph Murphy

Who was John Joseph Murphy?

John Joseph Murphy was a retired businessman and politician, and the 11th mayor of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

He worked for a time as a radio announcer with VOCM, but, following his marriage in 1951, to Marjorie Halley, joined Halley and Company, a dry goods wholesale and retail firm.

Following the death of his father-in-law, Patrick Halley, in 1956 Murphy became president of the company and expanded its retail chain, The Arcade, to nine stores in the St. John's and Conception Bay South region. In 1990 only two of the stores were operating.

Murphy ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate in the 1966 provincial election and again in a by-election in 1970. Elected to St. John's City council in 1973, he became deputy mayor. In 1977 he lost a challenge to incumbent mayor Dorothy Wyatt, but defeated her in 1981. He won by acclamation in 1985, did not run in the 1990 election, but was elected for again in 1993, and retired from city politics in 1997 after losing his bid for re-election as Mayor.

During his tenure on council Murphy was successful in restoring downtown residential properties by lobbying federal and provincial governments for home improvement funds. The city also began a housing program which won several national awards. In 1990 Murphy tried to convince the provincial government to expand the city's boundaries to include Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South and Wedgewood Park.