William Francis (Frank) Murphy, April 13, 1890 - July 19, 1949

The Honorable Justice Frank Murphy

Born in Harbor Beach, Michigan, he received his law degree from the University of Michigan. Among many other things, he served in WWI, had a private law practice, became Mayor of Detroit and later, Governor of Michigan.

He served as Governor General of the Philippines and then became the U.S. Attorney General and established the first civil rights unit in the Justice Department.

From 1940 until his death in 1949, Murphy was a Supreme Court justice, appointed by president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

On February 19, 1942, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 that authorized the relocation of Japanese people to detention camps. Fred Korematsu refused to comply and was arrested and jailed. He sued claiming the Executive Order was unconstitutional but lost in Federal Court. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the original verdict. 

In 1944, the case of Korematsu v. the United States came before the Supreme Court and the court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld the constitutionality of the government's internment of Japanese-Americans. Murphy's dissent is famous among legal scholars and a plaque stands in front of his old home in Harbor Beach (his home is now a museum).

On a random trip through Harbor Beach a few years ago, we came across the museum, which was not open at the time.

The first time the word 'racism' appeared in a Supreme Court opinion was in Murphy's dissent when he called the government's internment of Japanese Americans the legalization of racism.

Also in 1944, Murphy chaired the National Committee against Nazi Persecution and Extermination of the Jews (this came about years too late but it happened, nonetheless, thanks to Frank Murphy).

This was a man on the right side of history.

June 2022 Update:

We were back in Harbor Beach in June of 2022 and this time the museum was open as was the home of his birth, both of which comprise the Frank Murphy Memorial Museum.

This house was built in the 1870s and one wing of it was used as a law office by Frank's father. Frank was born here in 1890 and the family later moved into the larger home next door (the other part of the museum).

Our tour then moved into the larger home.

Murphy with FDR.

Our tour guide was wonderful and agreed to give us the 30 minute version instead of the 2 hour tour. Lastly, we went to pay our final respects to Justice Frank Murphy.

"I dissent, therefore, from this legalization of racism. Racial discrimination in any form and in any degree has no justifiable part whatever in our democratic way of life. It is unattractive in any setting, but it is utterly revolting among a free people who have embraced the principles set forth in the Constitution of the United States...". 

Justice Frank Murphy