Frank X. Murphy
| Frank X. Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Frank Murphy | |
| Born | 1903 Fort William, Ontario |
| Died | 1958 |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1903–1958 |
| Occupation | Coal merchant, newspaper publisher, tennis player |
| Father | |
| Partner | |
| Siblings | |
Frank X. Murphy (1903–1958) was a Fort William businessman, newspaper publisher and tennis champion. The son of James Murphy, he was president of the James Murphy Coal Company and president and publisher of the Fort William Daily Times-Journal.[1]
Tennis
Born in Fort William in 1903, Murphy played hockey for Fort William Collegiate, the Fort William YMCA and McGill University before turning to tennis. He joined the Fort William Tennis Club in 1922. Between 1925 and 1957 he won more than 25 singles and doubles titles at the New Ontario Tennis Tournament (now the Mid Canada Open). His other titles included:[1]
- the 1931 Northern Ontario Lawn Tennis Championship men's handicap singles;
- the 1933 Northern Minnesota men's singles;
- three consecutive Head of the Lakes Invitational titles in Duluth (1937–1939);
- the Ontario veterans' singles title five years running (1948–1952) and the Canadian veterans' men's singles title in 1952;
- with Ray Summers, the seniors' doubles at the 1955 Canadian Tennis Championships and the men's doubles at the 1956 O'Keefe International.
He was inducted posthumously into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.[1]
Business and community
Murphy was president of the James Murphy Coal Company from 1939 to 1958. As publisher of the Times-Journal he was responsible for adding "Fort William owned – Fort William operated" to its masthead. He was a director of the Fort William YMCA, helped with the Thunder Bay Figure Skating Club, and was honorary president of the Fort William Curling Club from 1940 to 1949.[1]
Family
- Married Charlotte MacGillivray at St. Patrick's Rectory on 17 July 1940.[2] After his death she inherited his business titles.[1]
Death
He died in 1958, aged 55, and is buried in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery.[1][2]
See also: the separate page Frank Murphy, which holds newspaper-index records for this name, some of which appear to concern this man.
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Frank Murphy was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 as an athlete (ceremony date given as 27 September 1986), for tennis and hockey.[3]
The Hall of Fame profile is taken to be about this man: both give a birth in Fort William in 1903, a death in 1958 and a career as a tennis champion who first played hockey with Fort William teams; this page says he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.[3]
Born in Fort William, Ontario, in 1903, Murphy initially participated in junior hockey during his youth. He played for teams representing Fort William Collegiate and the Fort William YMCA. However, he soon shifted his focus entirely to Tennis, joining the Fort William Tennis Club when it was established in 1922.[3]
Murphy became a dominant figure in regional Tennis competitions starting in the mid-1920s. At the inaugural New Ontario Tennis Tournament held in 1925, he secured titles in both the men's singles and men's doubles categories. Over the following thirty-six years, he remained a constant competitor at this event, earning at least one title in all but nine of those years. By the end of his career, he had amassed a total of forty-two titles at the tournament.[3]
On the provincial and national stages, Murphy excelled as a veteran player. He captured the Ontario Provincial Veterans Singles championship for five consecutive years between 1948 and 1952. In 1952, he reached the pinnacle of domestic competition by winning the Canadian national veterans' men's singles title. He returned to the national winner's circle in 1956, partnering with Ray Summers to win the veterans' men's doubles championship. Internationally, he represented his region at the United States Veterans Championships in Forest Hill, New York, competing there annually from 1948 to 1956.[3]
Outside of athletics, Murphy was a significant figure in the business and civic life of Fort William. He spent nearly two decades as the president of the Fort William Daily Times Journal and managed his father's coal company, James Murphy's coal business. His community service included a long tenure as a director for the Fort William YMCA and active membership in the Fort William Rotary Club, the Fort William Knights of Columbus, and the Fort William Chamber of Commerce.[3]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1903–1958) rests on the following dated evidence. Born in Fort William in 1903, he was active in local sports and business until his death in 1958.[3]
Achievements listed in the profile:
- Won 42 total titles at the New Ontario Tennis Tournament between 1925 and 1958
- Captured the Ontario Provincial Veterans Singles title five years in a row from 1948 to 1952
- Won the Canadian national veterans' men's singles championship in 1952
- Won the Canadian national veterans' men's doubles championship with Ray Summers in 1956
- Competed in the United States Veterans Championships from 1948 to 1956
- Served as president of the Fort William Daily Times Journal for nearly twenty years[3]
Relatives named in the profile:
- James Murphy, a father: Owner of a coal business[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Frank Murphy, tennis pioneer (Diane Imrie). The Chronicle-Journal. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charlotte MacGillivray-Amar (obituary). TBNewsWatch. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Frank Murphy", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/5254bcfc-989d-4427-aabb-c3df6c388c8d (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.