Still River residents named Saint Michael's College 2010 recipients of the Fr. John Verret Award

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Dennis and Julie Murphy honored by Saint Michael's College

COLCHESTER, VT (06/23/2010)(readMedia)-- Dennis F. Murphy Jr., a 1960 graduate of Saint Michael's College, and his wife Julie Murphy, were named together as the college's 2010 recipients of the Fr. John Verret Award, and received the recognition at award ceremonies held June 12 on the college campus in Burlington, Vermont.

Named in honor and in memory of Fr. John Verret, class of 1935, an Army chaplain who died during World War II, the award is given to a Saint Michael's College graduate who through his or her professional accomplishments and/or community contributions and/or service to the nation has supported the mission of Saint Michael's College and the Alumni Association.

Dennis and Julie Murphy were described as superb examples of fulfillment of the award requirements. The citation said they are two people who believe in the value of a good education. Dennis Murphy, a political science major at Saint Michael's, took over his family's life insurance company after graduation and built it into one of the largest independent agencies in Massachusetts with seven locations and over 22,000 clients.

Murphy Insurance has been heralded as one of the first agencies to computerize records and adopt new technologies. The agency was also the first to receive the prestigious Five-Star Designation from the Massachusetts Association of Independent Agents.

Dennis Murphy was also cited for being a leader in supporting continued education for insurance professionals. He is the past president of the Central Massachusetts CPCU Society and the Massachusetts Association of Independent Insurance Agents. He is also a past member of the Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers Board and is a founding member of the Worcester County Insurance Institute. For his years of service to the insurance industry, Dennis Murphy was presented with the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award by the Central Mass Chapter of CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters) Society.

Educational trust to fund college expenses for needy students

After years of building and expanding their business, Dennis and Julie Murphy got very involved in civic and social causes. Mr. Murphy has often been quoted as saying, "Everyone counts and everyone matters." Practicing what they preach, the Murphy's founded an educational trust that, for the past 20 years, has provided financial support for students who would not otherwise be able to attend college. In 2009 alone, the Murphy's funded eleven $2,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. The trust also supports a host of non-profit organizations in the Central Massachusetts area, including the Metrowest Boys and Girls Club, Milford and Marlborough Hospitals, and youth sports organizations near their hometown of Still River, Mass.

In honor of Dennis Murphy's 50th anniversary as both a graduate of Saint Michael's College and as a member of the insurance industry, Julie Murphy gave $50,000 to create the Dennis Francis Murphy Jr. Scholarship, which will provide two Saint Michael's students a $5,000 award to assist them in funding their Saint Michael's education.

Dennis and Julie Murphy have four children and six grandchildren. They split their time between Still River, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Vermont.

Learn What Matters at Saint Michael's College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu . Saint Michael's provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns. It is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 371 Colleges, and will be included in the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Saint Michael's is one of only 270 colleges and universities nationwide, one of only 20 Catholic colleges, with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 100 international students. Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

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