Interview with Bernice Murphy

Bernice Murphy graduated from the Maryland State Teachers College at Towson in the three-year teacher certification program. Mrs. Murphy taught for more than 30 years in public

education, most of it in Howard County. These are her reflections. Mrs. Murphy, we want to talk to you about your life this morning and your experience when you were a student at Towson

University. First question that I would like to ask you, if it's OK, is where were you born and where did you grow up? On Hooper's Island. Oh, OK.

And you went to school there? I went to school there. And when you were in high school, what were you thinking you might want to do when you graduated?

I wanted to teach. You did? Teach. Uh huh. And what grade?

Second, second grade. Second grade. And so where did you go to do that, to get prepared to teach? Towson.

You did? Can you tell us a little bit about how you got from the island to Towson University? A friend took me to Matapeake,

and I took the ferry. You did? I went on the ferry to Baltimore to Towson. OK.

And were you alone? Were there other students there? Yes, there were other students. So you got to meet people and probably I guess you took the

trolley, probably, to get to the campus, and you lived on campus. Lived on campus. And can you tell me a little bit about your roommates or your

experience when you lived on campus? At first I had a girlfriend, Gretha White, she was from Hoopersville and that was down below Hoopers Island. And then I met a boy in Towson named Coy Tharp, and I went with

him for a while. And then I met my husband. Was your husband a student at Towson? Was your husband a student at Towson as well?

Did he go to school at Towson? I don't know. He did? He went to school at Towson, but just for a few years.

Or maybe even just one year, and they didn't know each other then. I see. They met several years later over in Oxen Hill. I see.

Mrs. Murphy, did you have to go out and do student teaching, practice teaching to learn how to be a teacher? I did practice teaching.

And where'd you do that? I did that in Towson. You did. I think, Towson. And do you remember what grade?

Second grade, second grade. And do you remember what was special about your class, your graduating class, the class of 1934?

There's something special about you. I just... Wasn't it... It used to be a two year program, but for your class it was three years, right?

I think so. I think so. Remember, grandmother had to mortgage the house for you to do your last year, and that always worried you.

When you graduated, you knew you had to get a job because you had to pay grandmother back for mortgaging the house. Yes. Really. Yes.

So when you graduated, you probably had an obligation to the state to teach for at least two years. So where did you go to teach once you had graduated from Towson?

I think I taught right there in Towson. In Towson. No, she went over to... Do you want me to? Sure.

She went over to Prince George's County. She was teaching over close to Oxen Hill. I don't know what school, but that's where she and Dad... Yes. Do you remember Prince George's County?

I went to Oxen Hill and Murph and I decided to get married. You did? And I married him. And then I don't know where I went. You went to Elkridge, then you went to Oxen Hill.

You stayed there. I was in Oxen Hill and I stayed, my husband and I stayed with, um, Mrs. Cleveland Kirby.

Mrs. Cleveland Kirby. And you stayed there for... I was there about four or five years. OK. Now, after you got married, did you still teach?

Yes. You did? And for four or five years you taught? And then what happened next? Then my children were born.

There you go. And I wanted Charlotte to do what I was doing. And she consented to do it.

She did. She was a teacher, too. She was. So you were very influential.

You kind of told her that would be a good career. And you also had a son, a boy? My son, a boy, and he went to College Park over near Washington.

Right. Was he going to be a teacher too? Huh? Was he going to be a teacher? Did you...

No, no. He went into business. He did business. He had a business career. He was in business.

Worked in the city. In Washington. There you go. Mrs. Murphy, did you enjoy being a teacher? Yes, I loved it.

You did? I loved teaching. And what grade did you teach? Second. Always second?

Always second, always second. And do you think that was your favorite, second grade? Tell me a little bit about your teaching. What do you remember about teaching?

What was good about it? I just remember the children. The children were little and I liked that, and I taught them and loved being around them, and their age was a big part of why

I loved teaching. They were little and cute and I loved that. Yes. And did you teach reading?

Did you teach math? Math, reading, science, all those subjects. So you were a teacher of everything. How about music and art?

Well, my mother played the organ at the church which she belonged to, the Methodist Church, and my mother played the organ, and she encouraged me to go to Towson. And did you also... Oh, OK.

But the music background that you got... Did you teach music in the classroom? Or art in the classroom, or was there a music teacher that came in for part of the time and you taught music

for part of the time? Yes, I taught music part of the time, and the regular teacher for music taught the kids, taught the children.

But I loved teaching too. I loved it. The classroom teacher would follow through, you know. After she did a presentation, they'd work on it and then she'd

come back the next week. What else would you like to tell us today about your life and your teaching? That's a big question, isn't it?

She did a lot of teaching for teachers in the county. Teaching just about took up all my time. But that was, if you taught what you were supposed to teach, you had to spend time.

You had to spend time doing it. Yes, and preparing. Had to spend time. Was it a good choice? Was teaching a good choice you made?

Huh? Was that a good career choice? Teaching? Mrs. Murphy, what would you say to young people who are

considering being a teacher? What advice would you give them? Is that a good career choice, do you think? I would advise them to do what I did, and I think they would have

a nice life if they chose teaching. Well, thank you for sharing that with us. She also taught for the State Department, supervisors, teachers...

Was it the... Somebody came, I think more than once, from the State Department and you taught for them. They came into your classroom and you were teaching for them.

So she was picked as one of the top teachers in the county. Demonstrations. She was doing demonstrations. So you had...

So you must have been a very good teacher. If the State Department of Education came in and wanted to see you teach. Do you remember that?

Yes. I loved teaching. I really did. And I realized I had chosen correct because down on the island,

I picked crabs. I picked crabs to make enough money to buy my clothes to go to Towson. And so I just loved teaching.

What time did you get up in the morning to go pick crabs? Oh, I'd give up at two and three o'clock in the morning. Oh, my heavens. The sun wasn't even up.

Yeah, you pick crabs for five cents a pound, five cents. And I used to do pretty well picking crabs, and I'd make enough money to buy my clothes. Buy my clothes.

And that was before you went to school. So she picked from like 3:00 in the morning until 7:30 in the morning, and then would go home and change her clothes and go to school.

That's amazing. That's an amazing story. So I'm sure you were dedicated to doing it so that you could get the money to get the clothes to eventually get the degree and

become a teacher. I get the certification to become a teacher. Very impressive. What else do you want to tell us about your life?

What haven't we asked that we need to know that we should know? Well, when my husband died, it was just the end for me. He had a heart attack.

He did. A heart attack, and died. Now, Mrs. Murphy, he was in education, too. He was in education, yes. Here in Howard County? Yes.

And he was a teacher. What else did Daddy do? He was teacher. He was a teacher,

and then what else did he do? He was a principal. He was a principal. And then he was a supervisor. So he was principal and supervisor of pupil personnel

and all kinds of things. Yeah, my daughter and I were just... And your daughter's in education, too. She was a teacher, too.

There you just go. Well, we really thank you for sharing with us your memories of growing up and going to Towson University. Did you think of something else?

I did. Do you remember... You told me last night who two of your teachers were at Towson. Do you remember who your two teachers were at Towson?

Miss Bud? Yes. Miss Bud. And Miss Paragena, wasn't it? I thought you said Van der... Van der...

Paragena I think is... Is Paragena one? She didn't mention that. Paragena. Yes.

Another one is Paragena. Yes. And what do you remember about your teachers at Towson? Were they good teachers?

I just liked it. Well, that's what every teacher wants to hear, that their students can remember them for a long time after they've been their students. Anything else you want to add?

That's about it. OK, well, we really appreciate your taking the time and effort to share with us some of your memories. Thank you.

Well, I consider I've had a good life. Teaching school was a good choice, and I'm fortunate that I went to Towson and I enjoyed it while I was there. And you worked very hard. Huh?

You worked very hard. But I worked hard. I'm sure you did. Yes, I did. How long did you teach?

23 years. You did? 23 years. So after you had your children, you went back and taught some more? No?

Not until we were in school. Right. And then she went back. So that was a long career.

But second grade, always second grade. And Mrs. Murphy, this is sort of a personal question, but I wondered if you would share with us just how old you are now. Right now, this very day. I'm 98.

You are? 98. I'll be 99 August the 21st. My birthday is August 21st, and I'll be 99. That's very impressive.

And what do you think... And why do you think you've lived so long? Well, I try to do what's right and you don't do wrong. Takes you through. That's right.

You don't do any bad things, takes you through. And it was something I liked. Anything else that we should mention do you think? No. Thank you.