Orrice Abram "Abe" Murdock Jr. (July 18, 1893 – September 15, 1979) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of both chambers of the United States Congress for Utah. From 1947 to 1957, he served as a member of the National Labor Relations Board.
Abe Murdock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the National Labor Relations Board | |
| In office August 1, 1947 – December 16, 1957 | |
| United States Senator from Utah | |
| In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | William H. King |
| Succeeded by | Arthur V. Watkins |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Don B. Colton |
| Succeeded by | Walter K. Granger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Orrice Abram Murdock Jr. July 18, 1893 Austin, Nevada |
| Died | September 15, 1979 (aged 86) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Resting place | Mountain View Cemetery in Beaver, Utah |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Violet Yardley Murdock |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | University of Utah |
Early life and education
editBorn in Austin, Nevada, he moved with his parents to Beaver, Utah, in 1898. Murdock attended the public schools and Murdock Academy in Beaver, and the University of Utah at Salt Lake City.
Career
editMurdock studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1922.
Early political career
editHe was a member of the Beaver city council in 1920 and 1921 and was county attorney in 1923–1924, 1927–1928, and 1931–1932. He served as city attorney of Beaver from 1926 to 1933, and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for district attorney for the fifth Utah district in 1928.
Congress
editIn 1932, Murdock ran for and was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-third Congress and was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1941.
Senate
editInstead of running for reelection in 1940, he challenged incumbent Senator William H. King for the Democratic nomination. King had opposed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's proposal to expand the Supreme Court and Roosevelt's candidacy for an unprecedented third term, while Murdock was a "100% New Dealer" who strongly supported Roosevelt.[1] Murdock defeated King for the nomination and was elected as a Democrat to the Senate, serving from January 3, 1941, to January 3, 1947.
Murdock was defeated by Republican Arthur Vivian Watkins in his bid for reelection in 1946.
Later career
editAfter his defeat, he resumed the practice of law and engaged in agricultural pursuits and livestock raising. From 1947 to 1957, he was a member of the National Labor Relations Board and in 1960 was a member of the Atomic Energy Labor-Management Relations Panel.
Death and burial
editMurdock died of natural causes in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1979, and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Beaver, Utah.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abe Murdock | 47,774 | 51.59 | |||
| Republican | Don B. Colton (Incumbent) | 44,827 | 48.41 | |||
| Total votes | 92,601 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abe Murdock (Incumbent) | 55,800 | 64.43 | |
| Republican | Arthur Woolley | 29,878 | 34.51 | |
| Socialist | William J. McConnell | 644 | 0.74 | |
| Communist | Lawrence Mower | 279 | 0.32 | |
| Total votes | 86,601 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abe Murdock (Incumbent) | 68,877 | 69.23 | |
| Republican | Charles W. Dunn | 30,415 | 30.57 | |
| Socialist | William J. McConnell | 202 | 0.20 | |
| Total votes | 99,494 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abe Murdock (Incumbent) | 52,927 | 59.66 | |
| Republican | LeRoy B. Young | 35,790 | 40.34 | |
| Total votes | 88,717 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Abe Murdock | 155,499 | 62.85 | |
| Republican | Philo Farnsworth | 91,931 | 37.15 | |
| Majority | 63,568 | 25.70 | ||
| Turnout | 247,430 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Arthur Vivian Watkins | 101,142 | 51.24% | |
| Democratic | Abe Murdock (incumbent) | 96,257 | 48.76% | |
| Majority | 4,885 | 2.48% | ||
| Turnout | 197,399 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
References
edit- ^ "UTAH: King into Exile". Time. September 16, 1940 – via content.time.com.
- ^ "1932 Election Results" (PDF).
- ^ "1934 Election Results" (PDF).
- ^ "1936 Election Results" (PDF).
- ^ "1938 Election Results" (PDF).
External links
edit
Media related to Orrice Abram Murdock Jr. at Wikimedia Commons
- United States Congress. "Abe Murdock (id: M001082)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.