Notes
1. U. S. Department of the Interior, Twelth Census, Sweethome Township, clark Missouri, 1900.
2. Arizona State University Archives, Myrtle Murdock Collection, http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/azlist.htm#M
3. Sigrid Arne, “Capitol’s Second Busiest Woman Just Won Her Ph.D.-
July 7, 1940.
4. Alumni Roster, Truman State University Library Archives, http://library.truman.edu/archives/alumni19241.htm#M.
5. Arne, Ibid.
6. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?Index=M1001081.
7. Arizona State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Original Certificate of Birth, John Benjamin Murdock, July 10, 1919.
8. Arne, ibid.
9. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, “Educational Tests and Measurements,” MA thesis, University of Arizona, 1927.
10. Arizona State University Archives, ibid.
11. “Kerby holds Slight Lead Over Simms,” Yuma Weekly News, Yuma, Arizona, September 11, 1936.
12. “All Arizona Goes for F. R.,” San Mateo Times, San Mateo, California, November 4, 1936.
13. Arne, ibid.
14. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, Your Memorials in Washington, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1952.
15. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, National Statuary Hall n the Nation’s Capital, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1955.
16. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, Constantino Brumidi, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1955.
17. “Congressional Wives honor First Lady, but Present Goes to Another,” Warren Times-
18. “Civic Training Necessary Now,” Tucson Daily Citizen, Tucson, AZ, May 2, 1942.
19. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, “The Education of Cripple Children in the United States with Particular Reference to Arizona,” Ed. D.
dissertation, George Washington University, 1940.
20. Arne, ibid.
21. Arizona State University Archives, Myrtle Murdock Collection, http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/azlist.htm#M.
22. “Murdock Dies in Action in Middle East,” Tucson Daily Citizen, September 9, 1943.
23. Myrtle Cheney Mrudock, Your Uncle Sam in Washington, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington,
1948, “Chit-
Batted Out By Wives, La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, Wisconsin, February 3, 1950
24. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, Your Memorials in Washington, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1952.
25. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, National Statuary Hall n the Nation’s Capital, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1955
26. “The National Statuary Hall Collection,” http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/index.cfm
27. “Congress to Honor ‘Michelangelo of Capitol’ After Long Neglect,” Nevada State Journal, Reno, Nevada, June 30, 1950.
28. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, Constantino Brumidi, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington,
1955, pp. vii-
29. United States Senate, “Constantino Brumidi, Michangelo of the United States Capitol,”
http//:www.senate.gov/reference_item/Michelangelo_of_the_US_Capitol.htm.
30. Jane Eads, “Washington Letter,” Greeley Daily Tribune, Greeley, Colorado, June 20, 1951.
31. “Italian Artist’s Grave Found; Marker Slated,” Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 6, 1950.
32. “Myrtle Cheney Murdock,” http//:xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/murdock.html
33. Myrtle Cheney Murdock, Constantino Brumidi, Monumental Press, Inc, Washington, 1955.
34. United States Social Security Death Index, Myrtle Murdock, SSN 577-
35. “Political Loser’s Wife to Seek Job,” Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 22, 1952.
36. Jane Eads, “Capitol Guide Enjoys Work Despite Rigors,” Winona Daily News, Winona, Minnesota, August 28, 1956.
37. “Monday Night TV, WCNYTV,Channel 24,” Syracuse Herald Journal, Syracuse, New York, June 9, 1968.
38. “Myrtle Cheney Murdock,” http//:xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/gw/murdock.html.
39. John R. Murdock, Arizona Charachers in Silhouette, Phoenix, NP, 1939
40. “Historic Significance and Integrity Assessment Report for Listing Cattle Track Complex on the Scottsdale Historic Register,”
Scottsdale Historic Register SHR-
41. “Murdock Dies In Action In Middle East,” Tucson Daily Citizen, September 9, 1943.
42. “Popular Soldier Song Written By U. A. Man,” Tucson Daily Citizen, August 28. 1943.
43. Arne, ibid.
44. Stephen Miller, “John Murdock, 87, Engineer Developed Endless Pool,” The New York Sun, New York, New York, July 3, 2007.
45. “Former Solon Dies,” Modesto Bee and News-
46. United States Social Security Death Index, Myrtle Murdock, SSN 577-
A Woman for the 21st Century
Born in 1885
Myrtle Cheney Murdock
She taught elementary school at age 15, earned her Master’s degree at 42 and her doctorate at 55. She wrote books, magazine articles and a newspaper column. She worked as a college professor and as a Washington D.C. Capitol tour guide. She was in demand as a speaker at conventions and schools. She did this while raising three children and serving as clerk for her husband, Congressman John R. Murdock.
Myrtle Cheney was born on November 28, 1885 in Nauvoo, Illinois to farmer Nat Cheney and his wife Annie.[1] Before her fifth birthday, the family moved a few miles west to Kirksville, in Clark county, Missouri. [2] Myrtle attended the county schools and did so well that at age 15 she applied to the county for a position as a teacher. When asked her age, she could not lie, so she answered, “How old do you think I am?” She got the job. She used her salary to attend the First District Normal School at Kirksville (now Truman State University). [3] She earned a Bachelors of Pedagogy degree. She also met her future husband, John Robert Murdock. [4]
Myrtle was hired to teach at Telequah, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). After one year, she and John decided to get married. Instead of firing her, as was the custom with married female teachers, the district also hired her new
husband in order to keep her services. [5] In 1910, they moved to Ridgeway, Missouri, where John was hired as principal and their daughter Rachael and son David were born. They remained there until 1914, when they moved to Tempe, Arizona where John was hired to teach history at the Tempe Normal School (now Arizona State University) [6]
The Murdocks settled down at 1102 Van Ness Avenue near the campus, (today, it is part of the campus) and Myrtle devoted her time to raising the children. In 1919 another son, John Benjamin, was born, delivered by future governor, Dr. Benjamin B. Moeur. [7]
By the middle 1920’s Myrtle decided to continue her education and get her master’s degree. The only school in Arizona offering an advanced degree was the University of Arizona, 100 miles away in Tucson. Her family was supportive. Sixteen year old Rachael volunteered to cook, and with brother David’s help she took over the household chores. Myrtle moved to Tucson with younger son John, [8] and in 1927 she completed her coursework, wrote a thesis on tests and measurements, and received a Master of Arts in Education. [9]
After returning to Tempe, Mrs. Murdock, was hired to teach at Phoenix College, again overcoming the prejudice against married female teachers. [10]
In 1936, John Murdock ran for the Democratic nomination for the House of Representatives when Isabella Greenway decided not to seek another term. He defeated ten other candidates for the nomination. [11] In Arizona, at that time, getting the Democratic nomination meant victory in the general election, which he won by a four to one margin over his Republican opponent. [12]
Myrtle relocated to Washington with John and served as his clerk. Her curiosity and energy took her on a tour of every public building in the capitol. [13] She visited every memorial, [14] examined every statue in the National Statuary Hall, [15] and spent hours admiring the artwork in the Capitol Building. [16]
Myrtle helped organize, and was elected the first president of the congressional wives group, the 75 Club. She instituted a program of athletics, language study, dancing, and bridge. She brought in noted speakers, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, and sponsored charitable gifts. [17] In addition, she was in demand as a speaker on civic issues. [18]
With Rachael married, David teaching high school back in Arizona, and John enrolled in college, Mrs. Murdock now found the time to continue her education. She enrolled in the doctoral program at George Washington University. In 1940, she received an Ed. D. degree, after completing her dissertation on the education of crippled children. [19] At age 55,she became the first grandmother at George Washington University, and the first congressional wife to earn a doctorate. [20]
Even with her heavy schedule, Murdock took on more duties. She began teaching classes at George Washington University and she wrote a newspaper column, “Washington life from the Congressman’s Wife,” for the Arizona Republic newspaper. [21]
World War II forced Myrtle to curtail some of her activities. Travel was limited, even for members of congress. However, the biggest blow was the death of son David. He was a first lieutenant in the army. His infantry unit had participated in the North Africa campaign, and the invasion of Sicily. He was killed in action on August 11, 1943. [22]
After World War II, Murdock returned to her interest in Washington. She researched and wrote her first book, Your Uncle Sam in Washington. The book described the capital city, its history, and how the government functioned. It became a popular text that was used in many schools, and it was reprinted in 1952. [23]
In 1952, along with the reprinting of her first book, she published Your Memorials in Washington. It described the memorials and the customs associated with them. [24] A companion volume of this book was published in 1955, National Statuary Hall in the Nation’s Capitol. This work described the two statues that each state had contributed to the Statuary Hall. Strangely, Arizona had only one statue, that of John Greenway. [25] Greenway was a mining engineer who developed the mines and town of Ajo. Today, he is best remembered as being Isabella Greenway’s husband. Later, Arizona got its second statue when Father Eusebio F. Kino was added in 1965. [26]
When Myrtle first arrived at Washington in 1936, she became interested in the art work on the interior of the capitol’s rotunda. This began a 14 year search for information on the painter, Constantino Brumidi. [27]
Brumidi was an Italian refugee who came to the United States in the mid 1800’s. He spent 25 years decorating the walls and dome of the capitol building with frescoes, throughout the terms of six presidents. At the age of 72, after nearly falling from his scaffolding, he stopped work. He died shortly after. “He was buried by a few friends and forgotten.” [28]
Murdock asked herself, “How can countless exquisite frescoes and paintings adorn
our Capitol Building and yet the American people have little or no knowledge of their
existence?” She searched out every wall and ceiling in the building that was attributed
to Brumidi. She went to governmental sources, letters, photo-
Murdock also began an exhaustive search for Brumidi’s grave. She searched all of the cemeteries in the area, pouring over their records. After several years of looking, she found his grave in Glenwood Cemetery in Washington. [30] The grave was neglected and had no marker. John Murdock introduced a bill in congress to provide a marker and perpetual care for the grave. [31] A bronze marker was placed on the grave on February 19, 1952. At this time, the President of Italy presented Dr. Murdock with the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity for her contribution to the cultural relations between the two countries. [32] In 1955, her research was completed and she published, Constantino Burmidi, Michangelo of the United States Capitol, a large, lavishly illustrated book about Brumidi and his art. [33]
Myrtle’s husband, John, had easily won re-
In 1953, at age 67, Myrtle, no longer needed as John’s clerk, began a new career. She got her social security card, [34]and applied for a job as a guide at the Capitol. She said, “I’m going to apply for work as a Capitol guide. If the Republicans don’t want me, they’ll be turning down a good guide.” [35] She needn’t have worried. Her expertise assured her of a job. Dr. Murdock thrived on the challenge, although the guides worked every day from 9 a.m. To 4 p.m., with every other Sunday off. The capitol is 750 feet long, and the 45 minute tours covered the distance twice, in addition to climbing up and down stairs. [36] This meant walking at least two miles every day. For the rest of her life, she served as a guide, and even hosted a two part series on the capitol for PBS in 1968. [37] She also continued to give talks on being a congressional wife, the Capitol, or Constantino Brumidi. [38]
In addition to her accomplishments as an author and educator, Murdock raised three children. Rachael won awards for athletics and music, and did the illustrations for her father’s book, Arizona Characters in Silhouette. [39] She married George Ellis, an engineer and builder who built the Cattle Track Complex, a magnet for architects and artists in Scottsdale. [40]
David was an athlete and musician. He was state diving champion, and quarterbacked the University of Arizona football team. He graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music. He taught at Glendale High School and was the leader of the Phoenix Orpheus Club Men’s Choir. [41] He was gaining recognition as a composer and songwriter when he was killed. His best known song was “Stella, the Bella of Fedela,” which was popular with the troops in the Mediterranean theater. [42]
John Benjamin attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was president of the senior class. [43] He worked on radar for MIT during World War II. After the war, he established the Perlite, Corp., a company that developed machinery to process perlite which is used in agriculture and construction. He also invented the CarTurn, which allows people to avoid backing out of driveways. He developed the endless pool, a current generator for swimming pools, and he developed a hair cutter with a built in vacuum cleaner. [44]
Myrtle’s husband, John, died in 1972 at the age of 87. [45] Eight years later, in March of 1980, Dr. Myrtle Cheney Murdock died of pneumonia at age 94 in Media Pennsylvania, near where she had moved to be close to her son, John. [46]
Myrtle Murdock was born in an era when women were expected to remain home, and employment was reserved for young unmarried women and “spinsters.” She not only broke through the prejudices of the time, but she earned a doctorate, and had several careers. She was a teacher, a lecturer, an author, and even a tour guide. She accomplished this in addition to working as a clerk for her husband during his term as a representative and raising three children. These accomplishments were remarkable, especially in light of the era in which she lived.
