Margaret L. Murphy

Bio

Margaret L. (McCulloch) Murphy was born and raised in Alameda County, California in 1922. She was the daughter of Ethel Eliza Walker and Riley B. McCulloch. She had two sisters (Aileen and Esther) and one brother (Allan). Father Riley McCulloch was a clerk with the U.S. Post Office.

Margaret graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. degree. She went on to graduate school at the University of Oregon where she earned her M.S. and Ed.D. Degrees.

Margaret was appointed to the faculty of San Diego State as Assistant Professor of Physical Education in 1955. She was married to Seward Murphy in December of 1956 in Alameda, CA. She and he were in their mid-thirties. They resided in the San Diego area for their entire married life.

Margaret taught and was a productive faculty member in Physical Education for over 25 years. Among her duties was serving as Chair of the Women’s Physical Education Department from 1961 to 1965. She was rewarded with the promotion to the rank of Professor. She retired in 1981 as was given the title of Emeritus Professor of Physical Education.

Margaret Murphy had a relatively short retirement, as she died in 1988 at the age of 65. In December 1988 her husband Seward Murphy and friends & colleagues of Margaret helped establish the Margaret M. “Robin” Murphy Physical Education Scholarship at SDSU in her memory.  Her husband Seward lived on until 2001 when he died at the age of 79.

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