- Tom J. Murray
Thomas Jefferson Murray (
August 1 ,1894 –November 28 ,1971 ), usually known as Tom J. Murray, was a Democratic U.S. Representative fromTennessee from 1943 to 1966.Early life
Murray was born in
Jackson, Tennessee , where he graduated from the publichigh school and then attendedUnion University , from which he graduated in 1914. Murray then attended theCumberland School of Law inLebanon, Tennessee , graduating in 1917. He then served in theUnited States Army during the First World War but was not in any directcombat . Following his 1919 discharge, he established a private law practice in Jackson.Public career
In 1923, Murray became
district attorney for the former 12th Judicial District, serving in this position until 1933. In that year, he was appointed to the Solicitor's office in the former U.S.Post Office Department at its headquarters inWashington, D.C. , serving there until 1942. Murray was also active in Democratic Party affairs during this time, serving on the Democratic State Executive Committee 1923-24 and as chairman of the Madison County Democratic Party from 1924-33. He was adelegate to theDemocratic National Convention s of 1928, 1932, and 1936.In August 1942, Murray received the Democratic nomination for the Jackson-based 8th Congressional District, which in those days was tantamount to election in most of Tennessee. He was sworn in as a member of the 78th Congress on
January 3 , 1943. He was subsequently re-elected 11 times. His district was renumbered as the 7th District in 1952, after Tennessee lost a district in the 1950 census. He served as the chairman of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee from 1949 to 1953 and again from 1955 to 1966.Early in his career, Murray was considered to be a close colleague of Memphis political "boss"
E. H. Crump . However, it is apparent that Murray developed a considerable amount of clout in his own right; he was re-elected six times after Crump's death in 1954. He ran for a 13th term in 1966, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by a futuregovernor of Tennessee , then-State RepresentativeRay Blanton . Murray resigned his seat onDecember 30 ,1966 ; only days before the scheduled end of his term.Later life
Murray returned to Jackson after his defeat and died there less than five years later. He was buried in the city's Hollywood Cemetery.
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