Neville Richard Murphy
British classicist
About Neville Richard Murphy
Lived 1890 – 1971 (aged 80–81).
Neville Richard Murphy (3 March 1890 – 15 July 1971) was Principal of Hertford College, Oxford from 1939 to 1959.
Life and career Murphy was educated at Christ's Hospital and Brasenose College, Oxford. During World War I he served as an officer in the Royal Irish Fusiliers. A classicist and horologist, he was a fellow and tutor at Hertford College, Oxford, from 1919 to 1939, and Principal of Hertford from 1939 to 1959.
The official history of Oxford University uses Murphy as an example of an eccentric don: he was known as the "undisclosed principal" because of his reticence and for repairing watches for undergraduates better than the college porter.
His portrait by Stanley Spencer hangs in the Senior Common Room at Hertford College.
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Important facts
People in Neville Richard Murphy's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Neville Richard Murphy's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Neville Richard Murphy?
British classicist (1890–1971)
When was Neville Richard Murphy born?
Neville Richard Murphy was born in 1890.
When did Neville Richard Murphy die?
Neville Richard Murphy died in 1971.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Neville Richard Murphy
· DBpedia: Neville Richard Murphy
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Neville Richard Murphy. https://biography.guide/neville-richard-murphy/
MLA: "Neville Richard Murphy." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/neville-richard-murphy/.
Chicago: "Neville Richard Murphy." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/neville-richard-murphy/.
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