Title: Thomas B. Murray Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1973-1982

Creator:

• Murray, Thomas B., 1938-

Call Number: Superior Mss AF

Quantity: 4.4 c.f. (11 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Area Research Center, Jim Dan Hill Library, University of Wisconsin-Superior; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Superior Jim Dan Hill Library / Superior Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of Murray, a Democrat state legislator who represented the city of Superior and the 73rd Assembly District from 1973 to 1982. Included are correspondence, memoranda, speeches, press releases, and subject files that document many issues of concern to Superior and Douglas County and numerically arranged bill files concerning general legislation of the 1977-1978 and 1981-1982 sessions. Among the prominent issues are UW-Superior during the post-merger era of the University of Wisconsin System, the Brule River area, a proposed tax injurious to the Murphy Oil Company, and the economic development of the Port of Superior. Two folders about the Assembly Transportation Committee in this collection are actually the files of Assemblyman Kevin Soucie, chair of that committee, 1979-1980.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-sup00af

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The following brief biographical information is based on the Wisconsin Blue Books.

Democratic Assemblyman Thomas Murray was born in Superior, Wisconsin, on May 12, 1938, and he attended local public schools. Thereafter he served in the Army (1957-1959) and as an undersheriff. Murray studied at the University of Wisconsin-Superior for three years, majoring in Political Science. In 1974 he received an A.S. degree from UW-Superior. His political background included service as vice-chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party, precinct committeeman, member of the Douglas County Board of Supervisors, and member of the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Area Planning Commission. In 1972 Murray was elected to represent the 73rd Assembly District. His committee assignments included several terms on the Traffic Law Enforcement Council and the Natural Resources Committee, and election as vice chair of a special subcommittee on the land acquisitions, practices, and policies of the Department of Natural Resources (1975) and vice chair of the Transportation Committee (1977); and election as chair of the Labor (1979) and Transportation committees (1981).

The papers of Representative Thomas Murray, ten cubic feet of paper documentation at the time of their donation to the Historical Society, are similar to the archival collections of other Wisconsin legislators of his era . Like those collections, the Murray Papers consist of constituent correspondence, memoranda, bill files, speeches, and press releases. They are unusual, however, in that an unusually large proportion of the papers concern local rather than state issues, and that they coincide with a significant period of economic decline in the Superior area. In the Murray Papers this appears in the form of strong research materials on the UW-Superior in the University System's post merger era, the Murphy Oil Co., tax issues, and the economic development of the Port of Superior. It is possible that the unusually disproportionate local documentation may have resulted from selection by the donor because it is clear that no discrete bill files were received for the 1973-1974, 1975-1976, or the 1979-1980 sessions. In addition, although there are discrete files of speeches and press releases as well as much additional such publicity documentation scattered throughout the collection, the papers include only one constituent newsletter (Spring, 1982), a type of document typical of most legislative collections. In addition, the files of the Labor Committee, which Murray chaired, and the other committees of which he was a member are limited, and there are no biographical clipping files, scrapbooks, or campaign materials.

The files are arranged as alphabetical SUBJECT FILES and BILL FILES. In addition to topically arranged files, the SUBJECT FILES include discrete files of speeches and press releases. Two folders in this series about the Assembly Transportation Committee are actually the files of Assemblyman Kevin Soucie, who was chair of that committee, 1979-1980. Although Murray was the vice-chair of the committee at the time and the chair, 1981-1982, it is not known why these materials were in Murray's custody. Perhaps he used them as background information.

The BILL FILES document only the 1977-1978 and 1981-1982 sessions. These were unfoldered in the original documentation and the original order was reconstructed in the Archives from internal evidence. These files are arranged by bill number.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Thomas B. Murray, Superior, Wis., 1982. Accession Number: M82-428

Processing Information

Processed by Carolyn J. Mattern, 2001.

	Series: Subject Files
Box   1 Folder   1	AB 496, 1977
Box   1 Folder   2-3	Abortion and birth control, 1973-1974, 1981-1982
Box   1 Folder   14	Adoption, 1982
Box   1 Folder   4	Amnicon Falls State Park, 1982
Box   1 Folder   5	Amtrak, 1974-1975
Box   1 Folder   6	Arrowhead Bridge, 1979-1980
Box   1 Folder   7	Arts aid programs, 1979-1981
Box   1 Folder   8	Auto emission inspections, 1979-1980
Box   1 Folder   9	Bear hunting with dogs, 1979-1980
Box   1 Folder   10	Bridge inspections (SB 54), 1979
Box   1 Folder   11	Brule River, 1974
Box   1 Folder   12	Brule River State Forest, 1981
Box   1 Folder   13	Budget cuts, 1979-1980
Box   1 Folder   15-16	Budget correspondence, 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   1	Budget correspondence, continued
Box   2 Folder   2	CESA, 1981
Box   2 Folder   3	CETA, 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   5	Campaign information, 1974-1978
Box   2 Folder   6	Civil service and Workmen's Compensation, 1977
Box   2 Folder   7	Competency based education, 1981
Box   2 Folder   8	Complimentary letters, 1975-1978
Box   2 Folder   4	Conservation, 1977-1978
Box   2 Folder   9	Conservation Works Projects Board, 1979-1980
Box   2 Folder   10	Coop Park Bridge, 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   11	County Forest timber sales, 1980-1981
Box   2 Folder   12	DNR, Relocation of district offices, 1977-1978
	Douglas County
Box   2 Folder   13-14	Board, 1979-1982
Box   2 Folder   15	Chemical Dependency, Inc., 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   16	Fish and Game, 1980
Box   2 Folder   17	Emergency government, 1981
Box   2 Folder   18	Forest, 1976-1977
Box   2 Folder   19	Health agencies, 1979-1980
Box   2 Folder   20	Health care screening, 1978
Box   2 Folder   21	Hearing impaired, 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   22	Human Resource Center, 1981
Box   2 Folder   23	Trailer issues, undated
Box   2 Folder   24	Drinking age, 1979-1982
Box   2 Folder   25	Education, 1981-1982
Box   2 Folder   26	Emissions of particulate matter, 1981
Box   2 Folder   27	Gambling, 1981
Box   2 Folder   28	Highway 53, 1978-1982
Box   3 Folder   1	Highway Commission, 1981
Box   3 Folder   2	Horizon House, 1979-1980
Box   3 Folder   3	Humor, undated
Box   3 Folder   4	Industrial revenue bonds, 1980-1981
Box   3 Folder   5	Interstate Port Authority Commission, 1975-1976
Box   3 Folder   6-7	Labor, 1975-1978
	Labor Committee
Box   3 Folder   8	Ind 201 (migrant labor), 1979-1981
Box   3 Folder   9	Multiple rules, 1979-1980
Box   3 Folder   10	Fire code, 1979
Box   3 Folder   11	Budget, undated
Box   3 Folder   12	Rule 80-54, undated
Box   3 Folder   13	Rule 80-125, undated
Box   3 Folder   14	Rule 80-154, undated
Box   3 Folder   15-17	Correspondence, 1979-1982
Box   3 Folder   18-19	Lake Superior fishing, 1980-1981
Box   3 Folder   20	Lakehead Pipeline terminal facility expansion, 1975
Box   3 Folder   21	League of Women Voters questionnaire, 1975
Box   3 Folder   22-24	Miscellaneous correspondence re legislation, 1978-1980
Box   4 Folder   1	Libraries, 1980-1981
Box   4 Folder   2	License fee increase, 1979
Box   4 Folder   3	Low income housing-Solon Springs, 1979
Box   4 Folder   4	Mailings, 1974-1976
Box   4 Folder   5	Mining, 1981-1982
Box   4 Folder   6-13	Miscellany, 1973-1982
Box   4 Folder   14-15	Murphy Oil Co., 1978-1981
Box   4 Folder   16	Mutual savings banks (AB 919), 1980
Box   4 Folder   17	9-1-1, 1981-1982
Box   4 Folder   18	Newsletter, Spring, 1982 only
Box   4 Folder   19	Northwest Wisconsin Library System, 1978-1980
Box   5 Folder   1	Nuclear waste disposal site in northern Wisconsin, 1980-1981
Box   5 Folder   2	Nursing homes, 1979-1982
Box   5 Folder   3	Occupational tax, 1976-1977
Box   5 Folder   4	Personal miscellany, 1977-1978
Box   5 Folder   5	Policemen, 1977-1978
Box   5 Folder   6-7	Politics, 1978-1982
Box   5 Folder   8	Port development, 1973-1975
Box   5 Folder   9	Port legislation, 1973-1976
Box   5 Folder   10	Press releases, 1977-1978
Box   5 Folder   11	Probation and parole CSA layoffs, 1981
Box   5 Folder   12	Project Smile, 1979
Box   5 Folder   13	Property taxes, 1979-1982
Box   5 Folder   14	Railroad legislation (AB 980), 1975-1980
Box   5 Folder   15	Railroads, 1981-1982
Box   5 Folder   16	Raspberry Acres, 1979
Box   5 Folder   17	Rice Lake Airport, 1981
Box   5 Folder   18	Progress report, 1975-1976
Box   5 Folder   19	Revenue Bill, 1979
Box   6 Folder   1	Recommendations by Murray, 1979-1982
Box   6 Folder   2	Reorganizing city school districts into unified districts (AB 964), 1975-1976
Box   6 Folder   3	Retirement, 1981
Box   6 Folder   4	St. Joseph Adult Day Care Center, 1979
Box   6 Folder   5	Sales tax repeal on home heating fuel, 1975
Box   6 Folder   6	Senior citizens, 1979-1980
Box   6 Folder   7	Solon Springs school bussing policy, 1975
Box   6 Folder   8	Speeches, 1975-1978
Box   6 Folder   9	Spooner State Patrol headquarters, 1982
Box   6 Folder   10	State police powers extension (AB 309), 1973
Box   6 Folder   11	Steel making study, 1980
	Superior
Box   6 Folder   12	Air pollution, 1979-1980
Box   6 Folder   13	Alcohol production facility, 1980-1982
Box   6 Folder   14-15	City government, 1977-1982
Box   6 Folder   16	Chamber of Commerce, 1979-1980
Box   6 Folder   17	Coal loading facility, 1975
Box   6 Folder   18	Federation of Labor, 1980-1981
Box   6 Folder   19	Indian organization, 1979
Box   6 Folder   20	Landfill site, 1980-1981
Box   6 Folder   21	Police, 1978
Box   6 Folder   22	Post office location, 1979
Box   6 Folder   23	Port, 1975-1981
Box   6 Folder   24	Property tax assessment, 1981
Box   6 Folder   25	School Forest, 1976
Box   6 Folder   26	Taconite facility, 1975
Box   6 Folder   27	Transportation, undated
Box   6 Folder   27	Wisconsin telephone test center relocation, 1981
Box   7 Folder   1	Youthful Offender program, 1977-1978
Box   7 Folder   2	Strike, Rights of municipal employees, 1977
Box   7 Folder   3	TAA strike, 1979-1980
Box   7 Folder   4	Tax cut proposals, 1979
Box   7 Folder   5	Tax surplus, 1978
Box   7 Folder   6-7	Teacher retirement amendment, 1973-1974
Box   7 Folder   8	Textbook loans (AB 227), 1979
Box   7 Folder   9	Tordon 10K herbicide, 1981
	Transportation
Box   7 Folder   10	General, undated
Box   7 Folder   11-12	Soucie files, 1979-1980
Box   7 Folder   13	Unemployment Compensation, 1977
Box   8 Folder   1	Uniform Dwelling Code, 1978-1980
Box   8 Folder   2	UW System merger implementation, 1973-1974
	UW Superior
Box   8 Folder   3	Request for change in administration, 1979-1980
Box   8 Folder   4-5	General, 1973-1974, 1979-1980
Box   8 Folder   6	Effects of merger, 1973
Box   8 Folder   7	Possible phase out, 1979
Box   8 Folder   8	Possible merger with Duluth, 1975
Box   8 Folder   9	Task force study, 1979-1981
Box   8 Folder   10	DOT facility, 1977-1978
Box   8 Folder   11-12	System building program, 1979-1982
Box   9 Folder   1	University of Wisconsin collective bargaining, 1979
Box   9 Folder   2	University of Wisconsin System reciprocity, 1979-1980
Box   9 Folder   3	University of Wisconsin System user fee amendment (AB 300), 1973-1974
Box   9 Folder   4	WSEU, 1981
Box   9 Folder   5	Workmen's Compensation, 1977
Box   9 Folder   6	YWCA-YMCA, 1974-1975
	Series: Bill Files	⇧
	1977-1978
Box   9 Folder   7	Unidentified bills
Box   9 Folder   8-29	AB 93-AB 881
Box   10 Folder   1-8	SB 15-SB 463, SJRs
	1981-1982
Box   10 Folder   9-22	AB 3 - AB 452
Box   11 Folder   1-7	AB 488-1479, AJRs, ARs
Box   11 Folder   8-18	SB 5 - SB783, SJRs
Box   11 Folder   19	Miscellaneous bills, 1982