Terrence Murphy (Canadian politician)

Charles Terrence Murphy
C. Terrence Murphy
Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie
In office 9 September 1968 – 1 September 1972
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Cyril Symes
Personal details
Born	19 October 1926 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Died	12 July 2008(2008-07-12) (aged 81)
Political party	Liberal
Profession	barrister and solicitor, lawyer

Charles Terrence "Terry" Murphy Q.C. (19 October 1926 – 12 July 2008) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and judge. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Murphy was the eldest son of Charlie and Monica Murphy of John Street. He attended Holy Angels Catholic School and Sault Collegiate Institute (Class of 1943), and entered St. Peter's Seminary in London, Ontario. However, a year later he transferred to Assumption College at the University of Western Ontario, from which he graduated at the age of 19 with a BA (Hon) in philosophy. From there he went to Osgoode Hall Law School.

"I had no inclination to work with figures, so that ruled out maths and sciences - - it only left teaching and the law - - I chose the latter."

Among his activities at some point during his time in Toronto, Murphy visited regularly with a friendly University of Toronto English professor for a beer and talk in the evening at the professor's home. Over twenty years later, when Murphy contacted the professor to see if he would be willing to make a presentation to the Liberal Party Caucus, the professor remembered Murphy's visits. But Marshall McLuhan, now internationally famous, said, "Ah, Terrence, times have changed. We can't talk for nothing any more." McLuhan's fee proved to be more than the Caucus was willing to pay.

In 1949, at the age of 22, Murphy became the youngest person in Ontario to be called to the Bar. He returned to Sault Ste. Marie and spent seven years in partnership with George Majic, after which he established his own practice.

Murphy served a term as Alderman for the City of Sault Ste. Marie in 1965. He was elected in 1968 as a Liberal member of parliament representing the Sault Ste. Marie Electoral District, at which time he joined the firm of Fitzgerald, Kelleher and Kurisko.

While a member of parliament, Murphy served on the parliamentary justice committee. In 1970 he became the leader of the Canadian delegation representing Canada in the North Atlantic Assembly. The Assembly provided elected representatives from NATO countries with some insight into and oversight of the operation of NATO. He was named president of the North Atlantic Assembly in 1971, a position which required him to visit NATO countries and meet their ministers of defence. He also attended meetings of a group nicknamed "the Nine Wise Men", which had been formed to review NATO policy and organization. The group consisted of one representative from each of the NATO countries, including former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, and later West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.