Victor Murdock

Victor Murdock (March 18, 1871 – July 8, 1945) was an American politician and newspaper editor who served as a U.S. Representative from Kansas.

Victor Murdock
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 7th and 8th district
In office
May 26, 1903 – March 3, 1907
Preceded byChester I. Long
Succeeded byEdmond H. Madison
In office
March 4, 1907 – March 4, 1915
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byWilliam Augustus Ayres
Personal details
Born(1871-03-18)March 18, 1871
Burlingame, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJuly 8, 1945(1945-07-08) (aged 74)
Wichita, Kansas
Political partyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		Progressive Party
Spouse(s)Mary Pearl Allen
Children2
MotherVictoria Mayberry Murdock
FatherMarshall Murdock

Life

Victor Murdock was born March 18, 1871, in Burlingame, Kansas to Marshall Murdock, editor of the Osage County Chronicle, and Victoria Mayberry Murdock. In 1872, the family moved to Wichita, where Victor Murdock received his common school education, began learning the printing trade, and at age 15 became a reporter. In 1890, he married Mary Pearl Allen, spent some time in Chicago where he worked on the Inter-Ocean, and then in 1894 became managing editor of the Wichita Eagle until 1903.[1] In 1892 he reported on Representative and future president William McKinley's campaign for governor of Ohio.[2]

Murdock was covering the Kansas legislature when he decided to run for a vacancy in the United States House of Representatives and was elected to follow Chester I. Long, who had resigned to take a Senate seat, on May 26, 1903, taking office on November 9, 1903. During the 1912 United States presidential election he left the Republican Party to support and join former President Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party and was the party's choice for Speaker of the House in 1912. Murdock served in Congress until March 3, 1915.

He was elected as chairman of the Progressive Party in 1914 and 1916.[3][4] In 1916, when Theodore Roosevelt refused to run, the Progressive Party nominated Murdock for president, but he did not appear on the ballot. Murdock worked as a war correspondent in 1916, in 1917 he was appointed to the Federal Trade Commission by President Woodrow Wilson and served until his resignation in 1924 to become the editor for The Wichita Eagle until his death in Wichita on July 8, 1945.[5]

References
  • United States Congress. "Victor Murdock (id: M001083)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  1. "Victor Murdock, Veteran Kansas Publisher, Dies". The Iola Register. 9 July 1945. p. 1. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Victor Murdock, Editor Of Wichita Eagle, Dies". The Emporia Gazette. 9 July 1945. p. 5. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "No Going Back". The Potter Enterprise. 30 September 1914. p. 6. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "WIll Reconvene June 26". The Neenah Daily Times. 12 June 1916. p. 2. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Victor Murdock, Editor-Owner Of Wichita Eagle Dies At 74". The Cushing Daily Citizen. 9 July 1945. p. 2. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
Party political offices
First
after direct election of Senators
was adopted in 1913
 Progressive (Bull Moose) nominee for
U.S. Senator from Kansas (Class 3)
1914		 Party dissolved
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Chester I. Long		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 7th congressional district
May 26, 1903–March 3, 1907		 Succeeded by
Edmond H. Madison
Preceded by
District created		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 8th congressional district
March 4, 1907–March 3, 1915		 Succeeded by
William A. Ayres
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