Richard W. Murphy

For other people named Richard Murphy, see Richard Murphy (disambiguation).
Richard W. Murphy
Murphy in 1984
14th Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
In office
October 28, 1983 – May 15, 1989
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byNicholas A. Veliotes
Succeeded byJohn Hubert Kelly
Personal details
Born(1929-07-29)July 29, 1929
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedNovember 22, 2024(2024-11-22) (aged 95)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Spouse
Anne Cook
​
(m. 1955)​
Children3
EducationHarvard University (BA)
University of Cambridge (BA)

Richard William Murphy (July 29, 1929 – November 22, 2024) was an American diplomat and career member of the foreign service. He served as the 14th Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs from 1983 to 1989 during the Ronald Reagan administration.

Biography

Early life

Richard William Murphy was born on July 29, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1947, he received BAs from Harvard University in 1951 and from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge in 1953. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army.

Career

Murphy at Clark Air Base in 1979

He started his career in the United States Foreign Service as Vice Consul in Salisbury, Rhodesia (1955–1958). From 1959 to 1971, he worked for the Middle Eastern Bureau. He was the United States ambassador to Mauritania from 1971 to 1974, to Syria from 1974 to 1978, to the Philippines from 1978 to 1981, and to Saudi Arabia from 1981 to 1983. He served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs from 1983 to 1989.[2]

Murphy is often credited with brokering the Taif Agreement in 1990, which led to the end of the 15-year Lebanon war. Starting in the 1993, and until 2004, he served as senior fellow for the Middle East Council for Foreign Relations, and as chairman of the Foreign Student Service Council, the Middle East Institute, and Chatham House Foundation.[3]

He served on the board of directors of UNRWA USA, a Washington–DC based 501c3 nonprofit which aims to educate the general American public about the situation of Palestine refugees and generate support for UNRWA's work.

He was a two-time recipient of the State Department's Superior Honor Award, and a three-time recipient of the President's Distinguished Service Award.[4]

From 2003 to 2005 he was a Director of Middle East International, a London based bi-monthly magazine providing news and analysis of events in the Middle East.[5]

Personal life

Murphy married to Anne Cook in 1955.[1] They raised three children, and have seven grandchildren.

Murphy died on November 22, 2024 at a hospital in Manhattan, New York City at the age of 95.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Richard W. Murphy, Career Diplomat and Mideast Expert, Dies at 95". The New York Times. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR RICHARD W. MURPHY" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 6 December 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  3. ^ "In Memoriam: Trustee Emeritus Amb. Richard William Murphy". American University of Beirut. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  4. ^ "Richard W. Murphy | Middle East Institute". education.mei.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  5. ^ Middle East International No 711, 24 October 2003
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by U.S. Ambassador to Syria
1974–1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to the Philippines
1978–1981 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
October 28, 1983 – May 15, 1989 		Succeeded by