Who Was Eugene Murphy?
Eugene W. Murphy was a nationally known trucking company
executive; a state college regent; and a civic leader in La
Crosse. He was chairman of the Gateway Transportation Company
from 1933 until January 1981 when the company was sold. He
served on the Wisconsin State College Board of Regents, now the
University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, from 1951 to
1973. He was President of the Board from 1966-1969.
The Eugene W. Murphy Library was dedicated on June 12, 1969, and so named in recognition for his years of service to the University and the Wisconsin State University System.
Murphy was also instrumental in getting North Hall, now W. Carl Wimberly Hall, built on the UW-L campus in the early 1970s. Former UW-L Chancellor Kenneth Lindner credited Murphy’s support for the building and assuring its construction despite opposition from state officials.
Eugene Murphy was also a trustee and president of the St. Francis Medical Center Advisory Board; a director of the Wisconsin Historical Society; and was elected Man of the Year by the Greater La Crosse Chamber of Commerce in 1960. Mr. Murphy died on March 5, 1987, at the age of 85.
