Murphy (born July 21, 1930) taught theatre and speech courses at Georgetown University from 1954 to 2000.
At the invitation of Jacqueline Kennedy and Letitia Baldrige, he became a theatrical advisor to the John F.
Kennedy and Lyndon B.
Johnson Administrations for White House dramatic and music presentations in the East Room (1961–1965).
He was a founding member of the National Theatre Corporation (1974) and was Vice-President and then President and Executive Director of the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.