Dennis Murphree

Dennis Herron Murphree
42nd Governor of Mississippi
In office
March 18, 1927  January 16, 1928
Lieutenant Vacant
Preceded by Henry L. Whitfield
Succeeded by Theodore G. Bilbo
47th Governor of Mississippi
In office
December 26, 1943  January 18, 1944
Lieutenant Vacant
Preceded by Paul B. Johnson Sr.
Succeeded by Thomas L. Bailey
14th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
In office
January 22, 1924  March 18, 1927
Governor Henry L. Whitfield
Preceded by Homer H. Casteel
Succeeded by Bidwell Adam
16th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
In office
January 19, 1932  January 21, 1936
Governor Martin Sennett Conner
Preceded by Bidwell Adam
Succeeded by Jacob Buehler Snider
18th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
In office
1940  December 26, 1943
Governor Paul B. Johnson Sr.
Preceded by Jacob Buehler Snider
Succeeded by Fielding L. Wright
Personal details
Born January 6, 1886
Pittsboro, Calhoun County
Mississippi, USA
Died February 9, 1949 (aged 63)
Pittsboro, Mississippi
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Clara Minnie Martin Murphree
Profession Newspaper editor

Dennis Herron Murphree (January 6, 1886  February 9, 1949) was a Mississippi politician. He was twice elected to the lieutenant governorship, once in 1923 and again in 1939. In each instance, he succeeded the governor who died in office and completed the term of his predecessor.

He was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1911 to 1923. In March 1927, he became Governor of Mississippi after the death of incumbent Henry L. Whitfield and served for about ten months until Theodore G. Bilbo, who defeated Murphree in the Democratic Party primary by 10,000 votes, was sworn into office in January 1928. With the death of Gov. Paul B. Johnson Sr. in December 1943, Murphree finished out the three weeks left in Johnson's term, serving until the swearing in of Thomas L. Bailey in January 1944.

Dennis Murphree conceived the idea of the Know Mississippi Better train in 1925, in response to Governor Whitfield's wish to create an exposition of Mississippi to the rest of the country. The train was very successful, and continued to tour on an annual basis until at least 1937. The train visited forty-seven other states, Canada, and Mexico and showcased the state's industry, entertainment and commerce sectors.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Henry L. Whitfield
Governor of Mississippi
1927–1928
Succeeded by
Theodore G. Bilbo
Preceded by
Paul B. Johnson Sr.
Governor of Mississippi
1943–1944
Succeeded by
Thomas L. Bailey
Preceded by
Homer H. Casteel
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
1924-1927
Succeeded by
Bidwell Adam
Preceded by
Bidwell Adam
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
1932-1936
Succeeded by
Jacob Buehler Snider
Preceded by
Jacob Buehler Snider
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
1940-1943
Succeeded by
Fielding L. Wright