Beatrice M. Murphy

Beatrice M. Murphy Campbell (25 June 1908 – 12 May 1992) was an American poet and editor known for being the founder of the Negro Bibliographic and Research Center as well as the editor of its journal, Bibliographic Survey: The Negro in Print. All of her published works are under the name Beatrice M. Murphy.

Early life and education Murphy was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania to Benjamin and Maude Murphy. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1914 where she spent the rest of her life.

Murphy's first poetry anthology, Negro Voices, was published in 1938. She published two additional anthologies Ebony Rhythm in 1948, and New Negro Voices in 1970 which featured works by Nikki Giovanni and Carolyn Rodgers. Her anthologies published and preserved poetry by Black Americans that were mostly not published by major journals. She also wrote poetry books including the titles Love is a terrible thing; Get with it, Lord; and The rocks cry out. Her poems were also published in The Crisis and other publications.

The Negro Bibliographic and Research Center was founded in 1965 and was a nonprofit and "nonpolitical" organization which published bibliographies and provided research "...to help meet the reading public's growing interest in the vast amount of written material on the Negro." The organization was established at 117 R Street NE in Washington D.C. and consisted of Murphy as Director, as well as Myrtle Henry and Jessie Roy. The organization was later renamed The Minority Research Center Inc.

Disability advocacy In 1941, Murphy was diagnosed with an arthritic and inoperable curvature of the spine necessitating the use of a body cast.

Death She died on May 12, 1992, of heart disease. Her papers are held by D.C. Public Library.