Dennis Murphree

Dennis Herron Murphree (January 6, 1886 – February 9, 1949) was an American politician. He served three separate terms as Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi and two as Governor of Mississippi.

Dennis Murphree
42nd and 47th Governor of Mississippi
In office December 26, 1943 – January 18, 1944
Preceded by	Paul B. Johnson Sr.
Succeeded by	Thomas L. Bailey
In office March 18, 1927 – January 17, 1928
Preceded by	Henry L. Whitfield
Succeeded by	Theodore G. Bilbo
20th, 22nd, and 24th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
In office January 15, 1940 – December 26, 1943
Governor	Paul B. Johnson Sr.
Preceded by	Jacob Buehler Snider
Succeeded by	Fielding L. Wright
In office January 19, 1932 – January 21, 1936
Governor	Martin Sennett Conner
Preceded by	Bidwell Adam
Succeeded by	Jacob Buehler Snider
In office January 22, 1924 – March 18, 1927
Governor	Henry L. Whitfield
Preceded by	Homer H. Casteel
Succeeded by	Bidwell Adam
In office November 1911 – January 22, 1924
Personal details
Born	(1886-01-06)January 6, 1886 Pittsboro, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	February 9, 1949(1949-02-09) (aged 63) Pittsboro, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Clara Martin

Biography

He was born on January 6, 1886, the son of Thomas F. Murphree and Callie (Cooper) Murphree.^[1] He was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1911 to 1923. In March 1927, he became Governor of Mississippi after the death of incumbent Henry L. Whitfield. He served for about ten months until Theodore G. Bilbo, who defeated Murphree in the Democratic Party primary by 10,000 votes, was sworn into office in January 1928. Defeat has been attributed in part to his having prevented a lynching in Jackson (he mobilized the National Guard and threw up a barbed-wire barricade around the jail).^[2] With the death of Gov. Paul B. Johnson Sr. in December 1943, Murphree finished out the three weeks left in Johnson's term, serving until the swearing-in of Thomas L. Bailey in January 1944.

Dennis Murphree conceived the idea of the Know Mississippi Better train in 1925 in response to Governor Whitfield's wish to create an exposition of Mississippi for the rest of the country. The train was successful and continued to tour annually until at least 1937. The train visited forty-seven other states, Canada, and Mexico, and showcased the state's industry, entertainment, and commerce sectors.