Senator Edward Murphy

Edward Murphy served as a Senator from New York in the United States Congress from 1893 to 1899. A member of the Democratic Party, Edward Murphy contributed to the legislative process during 1 term in office.

Edward Murphy’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, Edward Murphy participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Edward Murphy Jr. (December 15, 1836 – August 3, 1911) was a businessman and politician from Troy, New York. A Democrat, he served as mayor of Troy, New York (1875–1883), chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee (1888–1894), and a United States senator from New York (1893–1899). A native of Troy, Murphy was educated in Troy and attended the Collège de Montréal with the intention of becoming a priest. Deciding to pursue a business career instead, Murphy attended St. John’s College (now Fordham University), from which he graduated in 1857. He then joined his father’s brewing business, which he managed in partnership with his father. After his father’s retirement, Murphy operated the brewery until merging with another local brewer to form a partnership known as Murphy & Kennedy. Murphy’s other business interests included serving as president of the Troy Gas Company. Murphy was also a shareholder in the Troy City Railway and the city’s electric company. Long active in politics as a Democrat, Murphy was a delegate to many of the party’s local, county, state, and national conventions. He was active in Troy’s city government, and served as an alderman from 1864 to 1866, fire commissioner from 1874 to 1875, and mayor from 1875 to 1883. From 1888 to 1894 he was chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee. In 1893, Democrats controlled the New York State Legislature, and were able to elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate as the successor to Frank Hiscock. Murphy was selected as the Democratic nominee, and won the legislative election. Murphy served one term, March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1899. Republicans controlled the legislature in 1899, and Murphy was succeeded in the Senate by Republican Thomas C. Platt. After leaving the Senate, Murphy resumed his former business pursuits in Troy, attended several national Democratic conventions as a delegate, and served as chairman of the Rensselaer County Democratic Committee. He died at his summer home in Elberon, New Jersey on August 3, 1911. Murphy was buried at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Troy.