Rich Murphy had a paper route as a young boy. He would go to the State Journal office to settle up bills from it.
Once when he was there, Murphy said he wandered around and went into a room where they were setting type.
“I think at that age even, I thought that’s something I’d like to do,” said Murphy, in a talk before Waunakee’s Rotary Club on Thursday.
Murphy would eventually go on to own the Waunakee Tribune from 1968 to 1981. When he and his family moved to town, Murphy said the population was 1,860.
“It was a farming and working man’s community,” said Murphy. “Many, many people worked at Oscar’s [Mayer], a lot worked at the university. I had a friend who worked in sheet metal and another who was a plumber.”
Murphy said he was often asked why he sold the newspaper back then, especially since, as he explained, he wasn’t that old.
“I said the demographics were changing,” said Murphy. “More and more people were moving in who had much higher education. It needed somebody like [current Tribune Editor] Roberta [Baumann]. She is a very good journalist.”
Murphy said he worked a total of 16 jobs in his life. After his paper route, Murphy worked at photo service in Madison. That job lasted four years, all through high school. Afterward, Murphy figured he’d try to get an apprenticeship. While waiting for an opportunity, Murphy worked in a used car lot. He bought a Model A Ford for $65, before upgrading to another car for $400 and then buying a Studebaker for $1,200.
Murphy’s future wife’s father worked for the Madison newspaper. Murphy found out they were hiring for two positions. That was around 1950, and the Korean War was starting. During his interview, he was told he’d probably be drafted. Still, he wanted the job and he was asked, “Can you start Monday?”
Murphy did eventually get drafted, serving two years in the Armed Forces and going from Texas to Germany.
One time, while having some paperwork filled out for him, the typist was making mistakes and crumbling up balls of paper. Murphy asked if he might try typing in the information. He did so without making a mistake and was asked if he wanted a job as a supply clerk.
Murphy got out of the Armed Forces in 1953. He went back to his apprenticeship at the newspaper. He made less than minimum wage. However, he was eligible for the G.I. Bill. Needing some part-time jobs, he went to work cleaning a clinic on Madison’s East side and then worked for Cardinal Campus Laundry on University Avenue for about two years.
Around 1960, Murphy had a talk with his bosses at the State Journal and said that he and his fellow employees were being told that in a few years, they weren’t going to have jobs there. Murphy had risen to the level of foreman by that time. The thinking was that computers were going to take over the industry.
Murphy said that didn’t happen until 1977, when there was a strike or a lockout of the printers there.
Murphy got out beforehand, as he moved to Eau Claire for a couple of years and went to work for the state monitoring apprenticeship programs. Then, one day, he picked up a copy of the State Journal and saw a for sale ad for the Waunakee Tribune. He called about it and for three straight Saturdays, he drove from Eau Claire to Waunakee to talk about an agreement to purchase the Tribune.
Murphy remembered setting up a dark room at the Tribune. The dark room is still there, although it hasn’t been used in some time. Holding up a film canister, Murphy said, “I used to take three to five pictures of the same thing and hope that at least one of them turned out.”
After selling the Tribune to Art Drake, Murphy moved his printing operation into an old building on Main Street. He spoke about opening other print shops and selling them, before ending the talk with a quote from the State Journal by Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Murphy finished by saying, “So, I’ve been dressed in overalls.”

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Guests: ?

Visiting Rotarians: ?

 

Birthdays: July 26, Erick Plumb; July 28, Bob Arntz; July 29, Jim Pingel.

 

Anniversaries: None.

 

Programs: July 26, Kacey Davidson, Marcia Wittington, Hospice and PalliaHealth; Aug. 2, World Affairs students on the seminar.

     

Greeters: July 26, George Ohlendorf and Joe Olson; Aug. 2, Linda Olson and Danny Paul; Aug. 9, Ken Pesik and Jim Pingel.