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Murphy, Bette (audio interview #1 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - The interview with Murphy was conducted around her kitchen-dining room table, which was piled high with union documents. From the start, the interviewed and narrator would chat about current affairs and the state of the labor movement over a cup of coffee. Murphy's speech style was a bit choppy, as she delivered her narrative in somewhat rapid fire sentences. During this initial interview, she had some difficulties remembering back to her earlier years. 12/6/1979
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- SUBJECT BIO - Bette Murphy was one of those women who eagerly joined the ranks of defense workers in 1942, pleased to be patriotic and to leave her lower paying service job. Born in 1918 to a military family, she spent her childhood in the Philippines, Virginia and San Francisco, before the family settled in Los Angeles in the 1930s. She married an Army dental technician when she was only eighteen, and by the time they separated two years later, her daughter had been born. Murphy went to work first as a waitress, and then as a practical nurse. When the war broke out, she and her daughter were living with a family in Washington, and she served as a "nanny." When she heard about the jobs opening up at Douglas, Long Beach, she returned to southern California to seek work there. She remained at Douglas, with only a brief period of layoff after the war, until her retirement in 1978. From her earliest days at Douglas, Murphy began to recruit her fellow workers to join the union (UAW). Over the next thirty six years she held various posts in the Local and at the time of the interview she was an officer of the Retirees chapter. Because of her extensive involvement in the union, a very long oral history was undertaken with Murphy, whose bright red hair earned the nickname, Red. (In all 14 hours were recorded in the course of six interviews.) Because of her busy schedule, it took a full nine months to complete the first four interviews, Then, an impending strike in 1980 and various health problems led to a one year hiatus in the interviews. Despite the long interruption, the rapport that had been established initially, made the resumption of interviews relatively easy. The interviewers own union activity contributed to this rapport, and to Murphy's candor about the problems she had with her union over the years. TOPICS - family background; childhood; living conditions; religion; family and home life; schooling; and clothing;housing and living conditions in the Philippines; religion; family history; family life; childhood; father's military career; housing in San Francisco; and schooling;family history; gender expectations; career aspirations; childhood; domestic responsibilities; family life; marriage and marital relationship; educational aspirations; early work experiences;
- *** File: rrrbmurphy1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-1:28)... Murphy discusses her family background, focusing on her grandparents. Her parents met in Staten Island, New York while her father was serving in the army. She was born in 1918 at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. (1:28-8:12)... When her parents met, her father was an army officer in the 4th Calvary. For some reason, he lost his rank and was downgraded to first sergeant. When Murphy was a baby, her father was transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia. While there, her mother gave birth to two more children, a girl and a boy. In the late 1920s, the family relocated once again to Manila, Philippines. When Murphy was in her early twenties she learned that her maiden name was actually O'Connor. She talks about the reason why her father changed his last name when he was a young man. (8:12-9:04)... She describes her family's living conditions at the army base in Virginia. Because of her father's rank, they lived in a small house with three bedrooms. (9:04-11:29)... Her mother's activities revolved around the family and their home. She was a loving and attractive woman who enjoyed cooking, cleaning, and sewing for her family. Murphy was raised in a Catholic home and went to church every Sunday. Even though her father also was born and raised a Catholic, he did not attend church on a regular basis. He only went to church when his children took their first communion and when they were confirmed. Murphy and her siblings also went to catechism, but did not attend Catholic school. While living at Fort Eustis, they attended a public school located near the base. Murphy remembers very little about school except that her mother was very particular about their appearance. (11:29-13:17)... When she was a child, Murphy enjoyed games like jacks and hide n' seek. She digresses regarding her mother's beauty. Murphy loved combing her mother's long, auburn hair. When her father expressed his concern about the family moving to Philippines because of the hot climate and primitive conditions, Murphy's mother had her hair cut. The first time Murphy ever heard her father yell at her mother was when he came home and discovered what she had done to her hair. (13:17-18:46)... Murphy describes her relationship with her parents. Her father was both a gentle man and a strict disciplinarian who lectured his children about their misbehavior. Her mother, on the other hand, physically disciplined the children, but she was very affectionate and called each one of her children by an endearing nickname. In general, her parents supported each other's child-rearing decisions. She believes that the only thing her parents disagreed on was her father's decision not to attend church. One area in which the children were always disciplined by their father was when they did not change their clothes after school. Murphy explains that certain outfits were designated for church, school, and play. She despised wearing long, cotton stockings and high boots, both of which were required articles of clothing for school and play. (18:46-21:47)... The army bases were equipped with playgrounds. Murphy was a very active child and engaged in a lot of different activities. Her playmates were children of all different nationalities. She could never understand issues related to integration because she was raised in an integrated environment while living on army bases. In addition to Black children, she also played with Filipino and Japanese children, particularly when her family moved to the Philippines. (21:47-23:36)... She recalls very few specifics about the school she attended in Virginia. She remembers enjoying school. At the time she was carefree with a happy home environment. She got along well with her siblings and enjoyed participating in male-oriented sporting activities with her brother. She digresses regarding an experience that occurred in the Philippines when playing with her brother. It was not until Murphy's mother died that her family began experiencing problems. (23:36-25:42)... Murphy was about six years old when her family moved to Fort William McKinley, situated just outside Manila in the Philippines. The base housed a small school for that consisted of a one-room classroom in which all grade levels were taught. The teacher was an officer's wife, who was young and pretty. Murphy's favorite subjects were english and geography. (25:42-27:56)... She describes her home in the Philippines. She explains that the bathroom was a multipurpose room that was used for bathing and for washing their laundry. The interview ends just as Murphy is describing their sleeping quarters. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy2.mp3 (0:00-2:12)... Murphy describes her family's home in the Philippines. The children slept on bunk beds located outside the house on a screened verandah. Their beds also were covered with mosquito netting to keep insects away. Murphy remembers watching lizards scale the verandah screen before she fell asleep each night. She comments on the superstitions of the Filipino people, one of which involved the iguana. (2:12-5:04)... Murphy's mother gave birth to a son while in the Philippines. When it was time for him to be baptized, Murphy's father decided not to attend the baptism. Even though her parents agreed to name their son Frederick Archibald, after her father's brother, her mother was so angry at her father that she named their son Frederick Calvin Coolidge. Murphy describes how they learned that Frederick Archibald was not the name on her brother's birth certificate. (5:04-13:16)... The army base where she lived was isolated from the city. Nevertheless, she was exposed to some aspects of Filipino culture. Rather than attend the non-denominational church on the army base, Murphy's mother took the children to a Catholic Church with a predominantly Filipino clergy. She recalls going into the city and the disastrous boat ride she and her siblings took with their father on the Pasig River. The family also went on outings to the island of Corregidor, traveling in a mine sweep. Their route passed through the tunnel that was used by POWs during the Bataan Death March of WWII. (13:16-16:19)... Her parents never objected to her participating in physical activities because she was a girl. She talks about her childhood friends in the Philippines. She was not restricted from playing with Filipinos or children with different religious backgrounds. Base operations included a Filipino unit of engineers and their families also lived on base. Murphy did not notice many cultural differences between herself and Filipinos. However, she does remember when her family went to a celebratory dinner on base and her mother instructed the children not to eat from a certain end of the buffet table because it included a dog entree. (16:19-20:05)... Murphy lived in the Philippines for two years. Her family left the base when she was about eight years old. She describes the circumstances that led to her father's demotion as first sergeant to buck private. Their route back to the US included stops in China, Japan, and Hawaii, during which time the children became ill with dysentery. From Hawaii, they were transported to Treasure Island in San Francisco and placed in quarantine until her father found a place for them to live. They settled in a small house located on Lombard Street in the Italian district of San Francisco. (20:05-21:33)... Murphy enjoyed her life in the Philippines. However, the living conditions and dietary standards caused certain health ailments such as boils and insect bites. (21:33-24:24)... Her father reported to duty at the army base during the day and lived with the family in the evening. Her mother made their home very comfortable and never complained about housekeeping. Murphy never learned how to cook because her mother dominated this activity. As a result, Murphy was ill equipped for this part of domestic life when her mother died. The children's chores included making their beds and keeping their rooms clean. Murphy also was expected to take care of her younger siblings. (24:24-27:10)... Murphy describes her home in San Francisco. The school she went to was predominantly attended by Italian children. When her father worked his way up to a high ranking in the army, her parents sent the children to a Catholic school. Murphy was particularly impressed by a nun with a thick Irish brogue. Murphy identified her ethnic descent as Irish. Her father reinforced their Irish heritage by telling his children that their "good ol' Irish blood" would keep them going in difficult times. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy3.mp3 (0:00-3:22)... When Murphy's father moved up in rank, the family moved into army housing at Fort Winfield Scott located at the Presidio in San Francisco. In the mean time, Murphy's mother was diagnosed with diabetes and prescribed insulin. Her father was transferred to the 63rd Coast Artillery Unit and the family moved to Fort MacArthur in San Pedro. Murphy's mother returned to San Francisco in 1930 to give birth to another child, a daughter, in 1930. (3:22-6:45)... Murphy talks about her mother's illness and her memories sterilizing needles and administering insulin injections when her mother was too weak to do it herself. She lapsed into a coma on two different occasions before she died. The third time she went into a coma, Murphy was confident that her mother would pull through like she had before. Murphy was twelve years old when her mother died. Her father was a master sergeant in the army and had a difficult time managing the house. He hired live-in housekeepers to take care of the home and his children, the youngest of which was his one-year-old daughter. The family was unsuccessful at keeping housekeepers. In the evenings and on the weekends, Murphy was responsible for the house and her siblings. (6:45-7:49)... Murphy's mother talked to her children about what type of behavior she expected of them. She wanted her girls to behave like ladies, which included exhibiting proper manners and wearing clean and neat clothing. She once lectured Murphy about the importance of wearing mended underwear because it would be unladylike if Murphy got into an accident and it was discovered she had a rip in her panties. (7:49-9:59)... When Murphy was a child she began thinking about a career in nursing. She remembers playing doctor and nurse games with her brother and father. She enjoyed taking care of her siblings when they were ill. She did not mind bathing and feeding her mother when she was ill, but was hesitant about giving her insulin injections. Murphy thought that nursing would be a compassionate and rewarding career. (9:59-15:38)... The transformation in Murphy's life after her mother's death was "traumatic." At the time, she was in junior high school and active in extracurricular and athletic activities. When her mother died she no longer had time for these activities and assumed the "mother role" in her family. She also put aside any thoughts of pursuing a nursing career. Her father assigned a rank to each of his children and told them that they had to follow orders according to that ranking. Murphy held the top ranking as first sergeant. She established a schedule of chores and all the children had certain tasks for which they were responsible. She also was partly responsible for the family finances and had to keep tabs on her father so that he did not spend his salary on social outings with friends. (15:38-18:13)... As time went on, Murphy's father began restricting her activities outside the home more and more. She was not allowed to attend school dances or date. At the age of sixteen, she ran away from home and moved to San Diego with a dental technician who worked at the army hospital. They married and she got a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy family. Her salary was $15 a month. When her husband returned to Fort MacArthur, Murphy's father expressed his interest in having her home. She returned to San Pedro and she and her husband moved into her father's home. In 1936, when she was seventeen, Murphy gave birth to a daughter in her father's home with the assistance of a male physician. She then became responsible for two adult men and five children. (18:13-24:58)... In 1937, Murphy's father retired and the family moved to Lomita, where he tried unsuccessfully to operate a chicken farm. She supplemented the family income by working morning shifts as a waitress, and her husband continued his work as a dental technician at Fort MacArthur. They began experiencing marital problems and eventually separated. Murphy thought that separating from her husband was a way "I could get an education and do something better with my life." They divorced a few years later and she obtained custody of her daughter. Her sister was already a student at Long Beach City College (LBCC) and was working as a live-in domestic. Murphy left her waitress job and enrolled at LBCC. She made arrangements with her father to care for her daughter and she moved into the household where her sister was working, earning $5 a month plus room and board as a live-in domestic. She continued to take courses at LBCC, and then the physician of the woman for whom she worked offered her a job as a practical nurse. (24:58-30:25)... Murphy trained and worked as a practical nurse for two doctors. Almost immediately, they assigned her to special cases in which she provided in-home nursing care for new mothers, for which she earned $25 a week. She accepted an offer to work as an in-home nurse with sister of one of the doctors who was relocating to Seattle, Washington. Murphy informed them that she had a daughter and they agreed to pay for her living expenses as well. The two of them lived in Seattle for ten months, but left both because she was homesick and also because she wanted to pursue job opportunities at Douglas, where she heard that women were earning .60 cents an hour. End of tape.
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