The Evening Star’s Jack Murphy Recipient of the 17th Annual Chester A. Smith Award

You may have seen Jack Murphy marching through the streets of Peekskill as the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2006, an event he helped to establish two decades ago.

Or, you could have caught him at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast when he served as a board member, fighting a blaze as a volunteer firefighter, reporting a story as the editor of Peekskill’s Evening Star newspaper, coaching a Lapolla little league team, or maybe just hanging out with his grand kids at a community event.

Jack Murphy has touched many people’s lives through his professional and volunteer work and he continues to remain active in the community.

Last year Murphy was named Hibernian of the Year by the Peekskill Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in recognition of his efforts to promote Irish-American cultural activities.

Tonight, Murphy will be honored with the Field Library’s prestigious Chester A. Smith award. The award is named after a former library board president to honor individuals who serve the community well.  

Chester A. Smith's support of The Field Library covered more than fifty years, beginning in 1920 when he chaired a committee to raise $20,000 to buy a church on South Street and convert it into a library. Researchers on Peekskill’s history use his book, Peekskill, A Friendly Town, as a trusted reference on the city’s past. Smith died in 1972, but is honored each year during the annual award ceremony.

Murphy will receive his award at the ceremony which will begin with a coctail and buffet reception at 6 p.m. with musical accompaniment by Tim Murphy and Joe Brady, piper. The ceremony be held at 7 p.m. and be followed by dessert. Tickets are $40 per person and will be available at the door.

Jack Murphy’s Biography

Jack Murphy was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and after the war, grew up in Des Moines, Iowa before moving with his family to the Albany area when he was sixteen years old.  Professionally, Jack jumped right into the newspaper business after graduation from high school.  He became a commuter student at Siena College and began a “real” journalism career as a part-time sportswriter for The Times Union in Albany, graduating in 1966 from Siena with a degree in English.  His first full-time job was at the New Haven Register, still writing sports.  This was followed by a short stint at the Schenectady Union-Star, and then four years on the city desk of Albany Knickerbocker

News, where he rose to become the executive city editor.

In 1973, Jack was recruited to be the editor of The Evening Star, the storied Peekskill newspaper founded in 1922.  The newspaper was mechanically antiquated and much of his first year was spent on planning and executing new production processes.  During his twelve-year tenure as editor-in-chief of The Evening Star, Jack mentored many young journalists who went on to successful careers throughout the state.  Active in several professional organizations, Jack was a member of the New York State Society of Newspaper Editors and served a term as president.  He also belonged to the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, and the United Press International New York State Advisory Board.

Jack had arrived in Peekskill as a family of four, which included his two oldest children, and having settled his family on Nassau Place, they ultimately added two more youngsters and got involved in schools, scouting and Little League.  Jack was elected to the Lapolla Little League board and served three or four years as league president.  While refining his skills as a small town newspaper editor, Jack got involved in a wide variety of civic and social activities, including service on the boards of the Peekskill-Cortlandt Chamber of Commerce and the Paramount Center for the Arts.  He also served two terms as president of the Holy Spirit Parish Council. When the redevelopment of Charles Point was proposed, Jack was asked to serve on Peekskill’s Industrial Development Agency.

After “losing” his newspaper in 1985 when the Evening Star was sold to Gannett for inclusion with its other Westchester County papers, Jack had the good fortune of being offered a position in the Public Affairs Department of the New York Power Authority, and he became a daily commuter into Manhattan.  He was Director of Public Relations for NYPA when he retired in April 2005.  The retirement was relatively short-lived, however, as Jack was asked to return as a part-time public affairs consultant to the president and CEO, a final posting that lasted about two years.

The Power Authority encouraged its staff members to take active roles in the communities in which they lived and where NYPA facilities existed. This led to Jack being part of the team that produced fireworks over the Hudson River each summer – fireworks that continue to the present under the sponsorship of Entergy Nuclear.  It also led to being one of the founding members of the annual “Peekskill Celebration”.

In the mid-1990s, Jack got involved with a group of men – most notably Dan Caffrey, Joe Brady and Eddie Hayes – who had spearheaded a movement to establish a St. Patrick’s Parade in the City of Peekskill.  Jack’s formal connection with the parade began with his selection as an aide to Grand Marshal Jack Carey in 1996, and he has served as the chairman of this highly successful parade for the past sixteen years.  In 2006, Jack was honored by the committee to lead the parade as Grand Marshal.  Jack was named Hibernian of the Year in 2010 by the Peekskill Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in recognition of his efforts to promote the community’s St. Patrick’s Parade and Irish-American cultural activities.           

Jack is an honored Life Member of the Cortlandt Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1, a member of the Peekskill Lodge 744 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and a member of the Peekskill Division of the AOH.

Jack is the very proud father of four children and two stepchildren – who all live in states other than New York – and grandparent of three.

The Field Library is privileged to bestow the 17^th annual Chester A. Smith Award to Jack Murphy for his tireless civic efforts on behalf of his community.