by Karl Kurtz One of the legendary figures of state politics of the last three decades of the 20th century died yesterday. Tom Murphy served as speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1975 until he was defeated for reelection in his own district in 2002. At the time of his departure from the legislature he was the longest-serving speaker of the house and one of the longest ever. The lead of the Atlanta Journal Constitution's obituary is as colorful as the man himself:
Former Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy, a cigar-chomping country lawyer who towered over state politics when Democrats were at their zenith, died at 10 p.m. Monday, nearly four years after a stroke left him incapacitated. He was 83.
A cantankerous character in a white Stetson, Murphy detested seat belts and Republicans with equal zeal. Most people addressed him simply as "Mr. Speaker," and in his record run as House leader he often wielded more power than the governors he served.
Despite his rural roots, Murphy likely had a greater hand in shaping modern metro Atlanta than any other figure in state politics.
The Journal-Constitution also provides a great photo gallery of Murphy, many of them featuring his trademark cigar.
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