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Although Jeanne Murphy is not fully unpacked from her recent move to Thibodaux, the new first lady of Nicholls State University said she is fully engaged in the spirit of Louisiana.
Calling Thibodaux home for a little more than a month, the Murphys were able to celebrate their first Mardi Gras riding in a convertible with Mayor Tommy Eschete and his wife in the krewes of Cleophas and Chronos parades Sunday.
Even without Mardi Gras, she said there is still something about the area that makes her feel a festive vibe.
“I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a town this small before and I didn’t know what to expect,” Murphy said. “But it’s a high energy place.”
As an active member of the U.S. Army for more than 30 years, Murphy has traveled all over the world as an Army nurse, and has grown accustomed to the drill of packing and unpacking.
During her husband’s initial interview process for the president’s position at Nicholls, Mrs. Murphy was drawn to the beauty of the campus and the anchor the university provides to the city.
Her desire to get involved within the Houma-Thibodaux community stems from her years of service in the military, accompanied by volunteer efforts in the different places she has lived.
Murphy’s story with the Army began her senior year of high school when her father encouraged her to apply for an Army nursing scholarship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
It was something she thought would only last a few years, but every time she would think about leaving, another opportunity would arise that she could not pass up.
“I went in at 18 and retired at 50,” she said. “It doesn’t work for everybody but it was a good life for me.”
She spent 10 of those 30 years as a critical care nurse for burn victims in ICU and CCU where she worked long and emotional days in a row.
“A lot of people didn’t make it depending on the level of burns, and you would have to help those families through the grieving process,” she said.
To help relieve the stress from her job, Murphy started training for the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Team in 1975 and participated in the Pentathlon World Cup in 1977.
“It was a great relief to go to a track workout or swim workout. Those things got me through what was some hard nursing,” she said.
Another job she held in the Army was oversight of the World Class Athletes Program, which led to a position on the Olympic Committee as the Chair of the Multi-Sports Organizations Council for almost 20 years.
As a big-time Olympics’ sports fan, she gained an even greater appreciation for what it takes to assemble an Olympic team.
“If you sit on the board you have lot of input and hands-on experience with Olympic training centers nationwide,” Murphy said. “It was a great honor to be part of elite training and athlete development at that level.”
With her master’s degree from the University of Washington in cardiovascular nursing and exercise physiology, she was afforded the opportunity as Commandant of the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School in Ft. Begging, Ga. There she was in charge of fitness programs involving all military personnel.
Before they were married, the Murphys worked on several military projects together. They each had 15 to 20 years dedicated to the army before they met.
At one point, they were both assigned the same project in the Pentagon, and that is when she knew her husband was, “The right guy at the right time.”
Murphy also worked with combat troops during and after the Gulf War.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, Murphy knew there was a way she could make a difference.
The Murphys had just moved to Montgomery, Ala., at the time and the belongings in their house were still in boxes when she got word of the National Red Cross headquarters stationed down the street.
Because of her years of military experience and nursing credentials, she was put to work as the manager of volunteer health working along the Mississippi Gulf Coast region.
“It was stressful making sure you got everyone the resources that they needed with a high output every day,” she said of traveling the width of Mississippi on a daily basis. “But it was still satisfying work.”
Her official travels conducting health screenings or diagnosing other medical concerns with the army allowed her to experience all of Europe, as well as Central and South America.
Now retired from the army, Murphy plans to offer her services to Nicholls and the community in any capacity she can.
“I really respect the entire faculty and anyway I can help I want to do that,” she said. “I want to be there for them to support and provide resources they need to make this place better.”
Passing advice along to the students at Nicholls, she said, “Persevere. A lot of things on my resume, I had no idea would happen after graduating. But every time I saw an opportunity I asked people to mentor and help me.”
Murphy said living here has already exceeded her expectations.
She is excited to get out into the Houma-Thibodaux communities to see what the area has to offer, mentioning the unique Cajun cuisine she and her husband have come to enjoy.
“The food goes without saying. It’s unlike any area I’ve been to before,” Murphy said. “The presentation and history of the food has never been a part of the dining experience as it is here.”
Bruce Murphy and Jeanne Murphy arrived in Thibodaux mid-January. Since then, the Murphys have dived into the culture offered by the region and look forward to growing opportunities at Nicholls State University.
