Thomas B. Murphy served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1961 to 2003. His tenure as Speaker of the House, the longest in state history, began in 1973. Under an agreement signed in January, 2003, the University of West Georgia Foundation, Inc. accepted Speaker Murphy's papers and personal office effects. Ingram Library's Annie Belle Weaver Special Collections, which houses materials associated with Georgia's Political Heritage Program, serves as the depository for the collection.

---

Thomas B. Murphy State Capitol Office Installation

University of West Georgia's Ingram Library renovation and expansion plan submitted to and approved by the Board of Regents in 2007 includes the installation of the office of former Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy adjacent to Ingram Library's Special Collections area and exhibit space to be developed part of Phase 1 of the library renovation. This area will have prominence on the main floor of the library, providing high visibility to students and faculty, and making the area particularly accessible to the general public.

These conceptual plans show general adjacencies requested in the planning process. Following the renovation phase, the Center for Public History, based in the Department of History, will re-locate from Pafford Hall to Ingram Library, providing students opportunities to work in archives and exhibit/program development in association with the Murphy office installation and other Special Collections. Exhibits and programs will enhance the office installation by highlighting key events and themes of the years Tom Murphy served in the Georgia legislature. This will enable the university to maintain the relevance of the installation over time, while building an educational component emphasizing the importance of leadership, public service and personal political involvement.