▁the ▁family - owned ▁enter prise ▁of ▁the ▁Af ro - American ▁newspaper ▁based ▁in ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland . ▁At ▁its ▁peak , ▁it ▁had ▁nine ▁national ▁ed itions , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 3 ▁major ▁cities . ▁Mur phy ▁was ▁the ▁grand son ▁of ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁founder , ▁former ▁slave ▁and ▁Civil ▁War ▁veter an ▁John ▁H . ▁Mur phy ▁Sr . ▁ ▁After ▁working ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁as ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁edition , ▁and ▁in ▁other ▁positions , ▁Mur phy ▁succeeded ▁his ▁uncle ▁Carl ▁J . ▁Mur phy ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Af ro - American ▁papers , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁and ▁publish er . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁John ▁Henry ▁Mur phy ▁III ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁to ▁Daniel ▁H . ▁Mur phy ▁and ▁S ara ▁Mur phy ▁Ne ely ▁in ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland . ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁grand father ; ▁the ▁latter ▁had ▁founded ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Af ro - American ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁After ▁his ▁parents ▁separated , ▁John ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁to ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁Over bro ok ▁High ▁School . ▁He ▁earned ▁his ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁business ▁administration ▁from ▁Temple ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁ ▁After