Murphy, Thomas A.
Thomas Aquinas Murphy served as chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Corporation from December 1, 1974 until December 31, 1980.
Born December 10, 1915, in Hornell, New York, Murphy attended Leo High School, Chicago, Illinois, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1938.
Murphy joined GM in 1938 as a clerk on the Comptroller's Staff in Detroit immediately following graduation, and was transferred to the Financial Staff offices in New York 15 days later. He held successive positions as an accountant and statistician and supervisor of corporate forecasts and financial analysis. In 1954, he was named director in charge of analysis of corporation and divisional pricing.
Murphy was promoted to director of the financial analysis section in the treasurer's office in New York in 1956 and was appointed an assistant treasurer in 1959. He was elected comptroller of GM with headquarters in Detroit in 1967 and treasurer on November 7, 1968. He held that position until elected a vice-president and group executive in charge of the Car and Truck Group effective March 2, 1970.
Murphy was elected vice chairman of the Board of Directors and a member of the Finance and Executive committees on January 1, 1972, the same day Richard Gerstenberg was elected chariman and CEO. It was a surprising appointment as he was chosen over ten more senior vice-presidents to succeed Gerstenberg to that position. Less than two years later, he was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of General Motors and chief executive officer of the Corporation. He retired on January 1, 1981. He continued to serve as a member of GM's Board of Directors until May 1988.
He died January 18, 2006 at his home in Boynton Beach, Florida. He was 90 years old.
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