For the Love of Murphy's

“I grew up with the G. C. Murphy Company. My grandfather, dad, and uncle all worked as electricians and traveled all over the country to stores, and I later became a secretary at the G. C. Murphy Company ‘home office.’

Going to Store No. 12 in Downtown Pittsburgh was a real treat! Ah, those wooden plank floors, the lunch counter, the bulk candy counter. . . . I now work in the executive offices of PNC Bank in Pittsburgh and every time I go past that Murphy store now I could cry—knowing what it used to be and seeing what it has become.

All of us old ex-Murphyites who lost our jobs because of the Ames takeover say we’d still be there if Murphy’s was! We’d never have left—what a great job we had!” —Patricia Smith, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania

“For the Love of Murphy’s is an excellent account of the history of a great five-and-ten. Jason Togyer has truly captured the 'behind-the-counter' view of an innovative retail organization.

“The G. C. Murphy Company is very special to me. My management style and work ethic grew from the experience and training I acquired over a sixteen-year period as a G. C. Murphy employee. I worked as a part-time stock boy in the early 1950s and then spent five years full time in the management training program, working in seven different stores. After serving in the Marine Corps, I returned part time to the G. C. Murphy Company—and while attending Penn State University, I worked in the downtown State College store.

“I highly recommend For the Love of Murphy’s to anyone who has had the experience of working in a five-and-ten retail store. Students of marketing management and merchandising, young entrepreneurs, and small-business owners will also gain immensely from the wealth of information in this book.” —Larry R. Pollock, Chancellor Emeritus, Penn State–New Kensington