William Beverly Murphy

William Beverly Murphy (June 17, 1907 – May 29, 1994) was an American food businessman. He was the president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company between 1953 and 1972. From 1942 to 1945 he was on leave from Campbell's Soup to the War Production Board. Prior to joining Campbell's Soup he was at the A.C. Nielsen Company (1928–1938) where he is credited with conceiving the idea for the Nielsen Food Index and Nielsen Drug Index Services. Murphy was also a life member emeritus of the MIT Corporation (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Life Murphy was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1928. He subsequently joined the A.C. Nielsen Company of Chicago and rose to the position of executive vice president. He joined Campbell Soup in 1938 as Assistant to General Manager. Murphy was elected executive vice president of Campbell Soup in 1949 and was president and CEO from 1953 to 1972. Murphy died May 29, 1994, at the age of 86 of pneumonia in a convalescent home in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

While at Campbell's Soup Company he took the corporation public and increased its brand portfolio to include Pepperidge Farm breads, cookies, and crackers, Franco-American gravies and pastas, V8 juice (vegetable), Swanson broths, and Godiva (chocolatier).

Murphy was a special term member of the MIT Corporation from 1961–65 and a life member from 1965–82. He served on several MIT standing committees, including the Auditing Committee (1984–86), the Executive Committee (1966–72 and 1976–82), and the Membership Committee (1964–67). He was a member of the visiting committees for the Department of Applied Biological Sciences (1985–88), the Department of Nutrition and Food Science (1980–85 and 1974–80 as chairman), the MIT Sloan School of Management (1972–76 and 1965–66, and 1964–65 as chairman), and the School of Industrial Management (1961–63, 1963–64 as chairman and 1959–61 as a presidential nominee).

As head of Campbell Soup, Murphy's managerial style, which prioritized lean manufacturing, fostered conflict with his workers who contested his high production targets. The climax of this conflict occurred in 1968, when the AFL-CIO affiliated locals at the Campbell plants attempted to coordinate their contracts. Murphy firmly opposed the coordinated bargaining across his plants; divisions between the different locals limited their gains, and his managerial vision prevailed.

In 1980, former president and chairman of the MIT Corporation Paul Gray presented Murphy with the Henry Laurence Gantt Memorial Medal. It is awarded jointly by the American Management Associations and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for "distinguished achievement in management as a service to the community."

In addition to serving on several government advisory panels, Murphy was a director of companies including AT&T, Merck & Co., Inc., and International Paper. He also served as national chairman of Radio Free Europe in 1960–61 and as chairman of the board of trustees of the Nutrition Foundation in 1964–65.

Employment A.C. Nielsen Company (ACNielsen), Chicago, Illinois, 1928–1938 Executive Vice President, 1935–1938 Campbell Soup Company, Camden, New Jersey, 1938–1980 Assistant to General Manager, 1938–1941 On leave to War Production Board, 1942–1945 Executive Assistant to President, 1946–1948 Executive Vice President, 1949–1953 President and Chief Executive Officer, March 1953 – June 1972 Director, 1950–1980 War Production Board, 1942–1945 Director, Facilities Division

Education Grade School — First Ward School, Appleton, Wisconsin, 1913–1920 High School — Appleton West High School, 1920–1924 College — University of Wisconsin, 1924–1928 B.S. in Chemical Engineering Tau Beta Pi (honorary scholastic engineering society) Iron Cross (honorary senior activities society) Delta Upsilon (social fraternity) "W" Club (Major letter winner in track)

Directorships American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T), 1961–1978 Merck & Co., Inc., 1959–1980 International Paper, 1969–1980

Charitable and civic activities Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Trustee, 1958–? President, 1982–1986 Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Trustee, 1959–1961 Elder, 1964–1966 Advance Gifts Chairman, Every member Canvass, 1963–1964 Co-Chairman, Expanding Ministries and Building Fund Drive, 1964–1965 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Life Member, 1961–1982 Executive Committee, 1966–1972; 1976–1984 Chairman, Visiting Committee for School of Nutrition and Food Science, 1975–1976 Vice Chairman, Development Committee, 1976–1981 Academy of Natural Sciences Trustee, 1968–1976 Honorary Trustee, 1976–? Chairman, Executive Committee, 1974–1976 Chairman, Search Committee, 1975–1976 Philadelphia Museum of Art Trustee, 1972–? Chairman, Capital Development Drive, 1971–1974 First United Fund Campaign of Camden Chairman, 1958 Greater Camden Movement Co-Chairman, 1968–1971 Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Blue Hill, Maine Member, Investment Committee, 1980–? Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture President, 1985–1986 Greater Philadelphia Movement Chairman, Committee on Public School Education, 1973–1975 Greater Philadelphia Partnership, 1976–? Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum, Board of Directors, 1977

Honorary degrees and awards U.S. Presidential Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman on recommendation of the Secretary of the Air Force, 1946 Lawrence University, LLD, 1954 Widener College (Widener University), LLD, 1960 University of Wisconsin, LLD, 1963 St. Joseph's College, LLD 1965 Ursinus College, Sc.D., 1970 Drexel University, Sc.D., 1970 Rutgers University, LHD, 1973 Fellow — American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1963 Poor Richard Club Gold Medalist, 1966 Herbert Hoover Award of National-American Wholesalers Grocers Association, 1966 Pennsylvania Society Annual Award, 1967 Supermarket Institute — William H. Albers Award, 1967 Business Week Citizens Award, 1971 Distinguished Service Citation College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin, 1957

National organizations Business Council, 1960–? Chairman, 1965–1966 Nutrition Foundation, 1953–1972 Chairman, 1963–1964 Chairman, Committee on Program and Staffing, 1970–1971 Business Roundtable, 1971–1973 Organized, 1971 Chairman, 1971–1973 United Nations University, American Council, 1975–1976

Other activities Radio Free Europe Fund, Chairman, 1960–1961 Mexican-American Panel on Rural Development — panelist, 1965, sponsored by the National University of Mexico and The Advertising Council (Ad Council) National Advisory Commission on Rural Areas Development, 1966 Colloque Franco-American Delegate, 1966–1967 President's Advisory Committee on Labor-Management Policy, 1966–1968 National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber, 1966–1968 President's Commission on Postal Organization, 1967–1968 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, Chairman, Panel on Traditional Food, 1969 President's Public Advisory Committee on Trade Policy, 1968–1969 Member United Nations Association (UNA) — USA National Policy Panel on World Population, 1969 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hazardous Materials Advisory Committee, 1971–1972 Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, 1973–1974 National Science Foundation — Northeast Region, Member, Planning Committee, 1978

Family Parents-Stephen Waite and Hilma Anderson Murphy Wife-Helen Huston Brennan Children-Robert Blair Murphy, Ann M. Zabel, John H. Murphy, Eric S. Murphy