The Department of History

Brian Phillips Murphy was born in Paterson, New Jersey and was graduated from Haverford College in Haverford, Pa. with a B.A. in history. He earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia, where in 2008

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he completed his dissertation, "Empire State Building: The Formation of States and Parties in New York, 1783-1850." Professor Murphy has held fellowships at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello and the McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests are in the political economy of the early American republic.

Prior to beginning graduate studies, Professor Murphy worked as a financial and political journalist on the staffs of Money and George magazines, and was the managing editor of PoliticsNJ.com. He has co-hosted and been a guest on numerous television and radio programs, and written for publications from BusinessWeek to The New York Times.

In May 2009, Professor Murphy was awarded the Richard L. Morton Award for his April 2008 article in the William and Mary Quarterly, “‘A very convenient instrument’: The Manhattan Company, Aaron Burr, and the Election of 1800.”

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