Guide to the Records of the Mayor Thomas J. Murphy Administration (Pittsburgh, PA), 1974-2005 (bulk dates 1994-2005)
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Records of the Mayor Thomas J. Murphy Administration
- Creator
- Mayor Thomas J. Murphy Administration
- Collection Number
- MSS 499
- Extent
- 123.5 linear feet (125 boxes)
- Date
- 1974-2005
- Abstract
- Thomas J. Murphy was mayor of Pittsburgh from 1994 to 2006. These records document the various complex functions of the Mayor's office and Murphy's attempt to address constituent grievances and concerns, monitor the impact of state and local legislative decisions, and further advance the economic and cultural development of Pittsburgh from 1994 through 2006. The records also reflect the political times and hot topics of Murphy's contemporary Pittsburgh, such as the building of PNC Park, creating riverfront trails, and the Fifth and Forbes revitalization project.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- Funds to process this collection were generously provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission through the Archives and Records Management grant program.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
Thomas J. Murphy was mayor of Pittsburgh from 1994 to 2006. These records include materials created in the daily activities of various staff members in the Mayor's office. Therefore, biographical sketches have been created for staff members whose work is represented in this collection.
Thomas J. Murphy (1944- )
Thomas Murphy was born in the Greenfield section of Pittsburgh on August 15, 1944. He grew up in Baldwin, attending St. Wendelin School and working at the Jones and Laughlin Steel Mill during the summer. After high school, he attended St. Gregory's Seminary (Cincinnati, OH), graduating in 1964 with a degree in Philosophy. Three years later, Murphy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from John Carroll University (Cleveland, OH). While studying at John Carroll, he met his future wife, Mona McMahon. They were married in 1967.
After graduation, Murphy took a job as a Chemical Sales Representative with ALCOA. Beginning in 1970, he and his wife served in the Peace Corps for two years. They were stationed in rural Paraguay, where they constructed sanitation facilities and an elementary school. When he returned from his work with the Peace Corps, Murphy attended Hunter College of the City of New York, graduating summa cum laude with a MS degree in Urban Studies in 1973.
Murphy and his wife returned to Pittsburgh and settled on the North Side in the neighborhood of Perry Hilltop. Murphy became involved with local politics by serving as Executive Director of the Perry Hilltop Citizens Council from 1973-1976. Afterwards, Murphy served two years as the Executive Director of the North Side Civic Development Council. In 1978 he was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly as a Representative District 20 which covers northern Pittsburgh communities including those in wards 6, 23, and 24, and in parts of wards 9, 25, 26, and 27. He served on the Committees for Insurance, Finance, Military and Veterans' Affairs. He wrote legislation creating the technology-based economic development program called the Ben Franklin Technology Partners as well as legislation to encourage industrial land reuse and to transform abandoned rail right-of-ways into trails and green space.
After eight terms as a State Representative, Murphy campaigned for the Democratic Party nomination in the 1989 Pittsburgh Mayoral race. After a 5th place start, he finished second to Sophie Masloff. In the next election, held in June 1993, Murphy won the Democratic nomination against City Council President Jack Wagner and went on to win the general election. He served three terms as Mayor of Pittsburgh from January 1994 to January 2006.
Important issues during Murphy's three terms as Mayor of Pittsburgh include his Fifth and Forbes downtown retail development program; the building and financing of three new city structures: the baseball stadium (PNC Park), the football stadium (Heinz Field), and the environmentally "green" David L. Lawrence Convention Center; and the city's financial problems which eventually led to State assistance through Act 47 in 2004. Other significant achievements were the creation of new parks and trails along the city's rivers and reducing the city's crime rate to its lowest in 30 years. During the summer of 2003 many residents unsuccessfully called for Murphy's impeachment. The City of Pittsburgh was assigned a Recovery Coordinator in December 2003 when the State of Pennsylvania declared it in financial distress according to Act 47.
In 2005, Murphy decided against running for a fourth term and was succeeded by Bob O'Connor, who had narrowly lost to Murphy in the two previous elections. Murphy went on to work for the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C., first as a liaison to the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast region and then as a senior resident fellow, holding the position of ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development.
In addition to his political involvement, Tom Murphy also held board memberships on a variety of local health, cultural, and environmental organizations, including the Heinz History Center. He was a driver for the Lawrenceville Meals on Wheels for over ten years and a co-founder of the Friends of the Riverfront organization.
Margaret McCormick Barron
"Peg" McCormick Barron joined Mayor Murphy's staff in December 1993 as the Director of Intergovernmental Relations. As director, she was responsible for working with government representatives in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. In a reorganization circa 1997, Barron was moved to Director of Communications and Government Relations and remained in that position until 2001.
A University of Pittsburgh graduate, Barron has worked in many levels of government. She worked as a legislative representative for Congressman Doug Walgren, a field representative in the office of United States Representative Leon Panetta, and as a special assistant to the Pennsylvania Governor for Western Pennsylvania Region. Barron also worked at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) as an Assistant to the President for Public Affairs and Director of Government Relations. While at CMU, she raised support and funding for major university economic development projects including the Pittsburgh Technology Center, Software Engineering Institute, and the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center. Before working for Mayor Murphy, Barron was working as the Director of Government and Community Affairs at Magee-Women's Hospital.
Anthony Boule
Anthony Boule served in the Murphy Administration as a Senior Executive Assistant from January to September, 1994. While in this position, Boule worked for Mayor Murphy and Deputy Mayor Sal Sirabella, representing them at meetings with business and community groups and assisting in the development and implementation of strategic policy throughout the city. Previous to his position in the Mayor's Office, Boule worked in the City Finance Department from 1985-1991 and volunteered as the office manager for Murphy's campaign in 1993. In 1994, Boule was asked to work as Director of Administration for the Pittsburgh Parking Authority. In 2005, he also became the Director of the Pittsburgh Parking Court.
Boule is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts and Design. He is also an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Administration and International Affairs. In addition, Boule has a master's degree from Columbia University in Developmental and Learning Psychology.
Nadine Brnilovich
Nadine Brnilovich joined the Mayor's Office in 1983 as an Administrative Assistant for Mayor Richard Caliguiri. She worked as an Administrative Assistant for Mayors Sophie Masloff and Tom Murphy as well, continuously gaining more responsibilities. In 1996, she began working as a Special Events Coordinator for Murphy. She has continued in that position under Mayors O'Conner and Ravenstahl. As Special Events Coordinator, Brnilovich serves as a liaison for major city events, collaborates with local sports teams, and assists with community events.
Thomas Cox
Tom Cox served as Murphy's Deputy Mayor of Policy and Executive Secretary from 1994-2006. His duties included management of the city budget, promoting economic development, serving as a Mayoral liaison to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Regional Asset District, and the Housing Authority. Among other accomplishments, Cox developed Murphy's youth policy program and designed and managed Mayor's economic development agenda.
Cox began his public work in Pittsburgh as North Side Coordinator for the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 1971. In 1974, he served five years as a Housing and Development Specialist for the Manchester Citizen's Corporation. In 1979, Cox became the Executive Director of North Side Civic Development Council when Tom Murphy won a seat in the State House of Representatives. Cox served as the executive director from 1979 to 1989 before moving to Cleveland where he founded and became the first executive director of Neighborhood Progress, Incorporated. This organization provides strategy to guide public and private investments in Cleveland neighborhoods.
Cox received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Yale University in 1961 and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 1964. He also attended the Urban Training Institute in Chicago in 1966 and the Executive Enterprises Venture Capital Training Program in 1985.
Judy Dyda
Judy Dyda was the Neighborhoods Coordinator for Mayor Murphy from 1994 to 2006. Her duties included gathering complaints, suggestions, statistics, and histories to be used for the advancement of the many neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Dyda served as a coordinator for many redevelopment and revitalization projects in various Pittsburgh neighborhoods during Murphy's tenure.
Before joining Murphy's staff, Dyda was active in the Beechview community and schools, volunteering with the "Paint Your Heart Out Pittsburgh" program, SHARE, Beechview Area Concerned Citizens, Neighborhood Fair Pittsburgh, Inc., and Meals-on-Wheels. One of her major accomplishments was the revitalization of Beechview Monument Parklet.
Dyda earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and Mathematics as well as a Master of Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught math at the Community College of Allegheny County and Saint Francis Academy. Dyda also has a Pennsylvania Association of Notaries diploma.
Craig Kwiecinski
Craig Kwiecinski was Manager of Communications and Government Relations from 1997 until 2001 when he became the Director of Communications and Government Relations. He remained in this position until the end of Murphy's tenure in 2006. In his work for the city, Kwiecinski served as Murphy's primary spokesperson and was also responsible for implementing the Mayor's agenda at City Council and in Harrisburg.
Prior to joining the Murphy Administration, Kwiecinski worked as the campaign coordinator for Murphy's first reelection campaign in 1996 and 1997. Before that he worked for the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee in Harrisburg as a campaign coordinator.
Kwiecinski is a 1995 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He also earned a Masters Degree in Public Management from the H. J. Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University in 2005.
During 2008, he resided in the Washington, DC area and worked as the chief of staff to the Assistant General Manager for Corporate Strategy and Communications at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). He has worked in Washington DC since leaving the Murphy administration.
Scope and Content Notes
The Mayor Thomas Murphy Papers are housed in 125 containers. The records are arranged into thirteen series, following their original organization and use in the Mayor's office. In most cases, the papers are arranged based on the office which collected or created them. In other cases, items have been arranged according to their storage or use in the Mayor's Office, such as the Campaign and Topical files. The series headings are Campaign Files, Clippings, Communication and Government Relations, Correspondence, Housing Authority, Management and Budget Office, Neighborhoods Coordinator, Operations, Policy, Scheduling Secretary, Senior Executive Assistant, Special Events, and Topical Files.
The records document the various complex functions of the Mayor's office and his attempt to address constituent grievances and concerns, monitor the impact of state and local legislative decisions, and further advance the economic and cultural development of Pittsburgh from 1994 through 2006. The records also reflect the political times and hot topics of Murphy's contemporary Pittsburgh, such as the building of PNC Park, creating riverfront trails, and the Fifth and Forbes revitalization project. The bulk of the records are related to specific neighborhood concerns and development plans, community organizations, budget/finance, and city operations.
Some series in this collection contain chronological gaps for which no materials were found in the records. These gaps are noted in the series level scope and content notes. In addition, several duplicate reports or publications have been separated to the Library to be individually cataloged.
Series I: Campaign Files (1993-2001)
The Campaign Files Series is contained in one box and arranged into two subseries, Financial Networking and Door Knocking, a term designated by the mayor's team for his efforts to speak with constituents in person. These subseries are arranged as they were filed by the mayor's office, alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within the folder.
The Financial Networking Subseries is made up of contact lists for financial contributors to Murphy's campaign, fundraiser attendance lists and contributor lists, employee and volunteer contact information, and Department of Elections' summary of receipts and expenditures forms for 1993 and 1997. It also includes correspondence pertaining to Murphy's fundraisers, thank-you notes both received and sent by Murphy, greeting cards sent by financial contributors and friends of the campaign, and related correspondence.
The Door Knocking Subseries includes information pertaining to his door-to-door campaign and neighborhood "Coffees." The "Coffees" folders contain invitations, attendance lists, printed photos, and thank you notes sent by Murphy to the hosts. The Door Knocking Subseries also contains correspondence pertaining to constituent concerns, "door knocking" lists compiled by voter districts, photocopies of holiday return address labels, primary election results, and staff and supporter address lists.
Series II: Clippings (1993-1999)
The Clippings series consists of 25 boxes and is arranged chronologically. This series contains newspaper articles clipped by Mayor Murphy's staff on a daily basis from 1994 to 1999. Starting in the year 2000, newspaper articles were included in subject files. Most articles come from the Pittsburgh Business Times, the Pittsburgh Courier, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, but articles from other sources are included as well.
Series III: Communications and Government Relations (1980-2005)
The Communications and Government Relations series consists of 33 boxes and is arranged into eight smaller groups following their original organization in the Office of the Communications and Government Relations Director: Act 47, City Budget, City Projects and Issues, Departments/Bureaus/Authorities, Legislation, Media, Speeches and Events, and Topical.
The Act 47 sub-series consists of four boxes and is arranged alphabetically by topical folder headings. It contains planning documents, budgets, reports, meeting materials, articles, correspondence, legislative bills, and legal documents. Act 47 was passed in 1987 and requires cities in Pennsylvania that are financially distressed to form a recovery plan and provides guidelines for how that plan should be developed and implemented. In order to create a recovery plan and monitor Pittsburgh's finances, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) was created by Act 11 and passed in February 2004. The ICA consisted of five people, chosen by each of the four State legislative caucuses and Governor Edward G. Rendell. A written agreement was made between the City of Pittsburgh and the ICA which defined the roles of each party in the creation of a Recovery Plan. The ICA was charged to approve the City's annual budget, mandate five year spending plans, and recommend mergers. If the City failed to comply with the approved plan, the ICA had the power to withhold future State money. Governor Rendell also appointed an Act 47 Recovery Team which was led by James Roberts, of the law firm Eckert, Seamans, Cherin, and Mellott, and Dan Kaplan from the Public Financial Management Group.
This subseries also contains materials that pre-date the Act 47 status because Mayor Murphy had organized groups to assess and advise him about the financial situation of the city as early as 2002. Two of these groups were the Pittsburgh's 21st Century Future Commission (PGH 21) and the Pittsburgh Financial Leadership Committee. PGH 21 was co-chaired by Doris Carson Williams, President of the African-American Chamber of Commerce, and Paul Renne, a retired CEO of the H.J. Heinz Company. They were to provide a report of the fiscal situation of the City and suggest a plan for future fiscal stability and economic growth. The Pittsburgh Financial Leadership Committee was led by Elsie Hillman and David Roderick and had a similar mission to that of the PGH 21 group.
In addition to reports and planning papers from these four groups, this series contains information about the City's efforts to avoid Act 47 as well as the application and public hearings for its official filing for assistance under Act 47. This subseries also includes information about how Act 47 affected departments like Police, Fire, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
The City Budget sub-series consist of two and a half boxes and is arranged in chronological order. It contains planning documents, reports, charts, articles, correspondence and speeches. Starting in 2002, there are separate budgets for operating costs (basic city services funded through taxes) and capital costs (bricks and mortar projects funded through borrowed money and grants). There are also two topical folders in this subseries -- one for the grant the City received in 2005 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and one for a copy of the Mayor's main planning document, "Tom Murphy's City Book."
The City Issues and Projects sub-series consist of nine boxes and is arranged alphabetically by the folder title given by Tom Murphy's staff members. Topics covered in this group include the formation of new businesses and organizations such as the Competitive Pittsburgh Task Force and the Regional Asset District; improvements and repairs of city infrastructure such as the Mon Valley Expressway project; as well as real estate and economic improvement initiatives such as the Fifth and Forbes project, property assessments, and the development of the Nine Mile Run community. The information consists of correspondence, emails, publications, press releases, newspaper articles, newsletters, meeting materials and minutes.
The Departments/Bureaus/Authorities sub-series consists of six boxes and is arranged alphabetically by the City department, bureau, or authority name. In addition to general information about each department, there are also folders of information pertaining to specific events, projects, problems, and reports. These files represent about 25 departments, bureaus, and authorities. The largest groups are City Planning, Police, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Types of records found in this sub-series include correspondence between the department and the Mayor's staff, press releases, reports, grant applications, presentation slides, publications, newspaper articles, audit reports, and meeting agendas. Note: All records from the Public Auditorium Authority are filed under the name of its successor, the Sports and Exhibition Authority.
The Legislation sub-series consists of six boxes and is arranged in numerical order according to the number of the State House or Senate bill. This arrangement maintains their original order in the office of Margaret McCormick Barron, head of Intergovernmental Affairs. The bill numbers correlate to the chronological order in which the bills were introduced in either the State House or Senate throughout the two-year legislative session. When the next legislative session begins, the numbering system begins at 1 again. Topical files and United States House and Senate bills follow the State bills in alphabetical and numerical order, respectively. In addition, files for individual representatives, senators, and governors can be found at the end of this sub-series.
The bulk of the materials in this sub-series consist of the bills introduced in the State House and Senate dealing with issues that would affect the City of Pittsburgh. Bill topics include municipal pension plans, redevelopment, and funding among many other topics. These files also contain related memoranda and correspondence, reports, newspaper articles, and meeting notes. These papers in this series document the proposed effect the bills could have on Pittsburgh, summarize the legality and technicalities of the bills, and elicit either Mayor Murphy's support or opposition to the bills.
The Media sub-series consists of two and a half boxes and is arranged alphabetically. It consists of correspondence from Mayor Murphy and Peg McCormick Barron (the Director of the Office Communications and Government Relations) to State and Federal politicians about legislation, programs, and meetings. This sub-series also contains press releases from the Mayor and other local organizations and a few topical files about local media such as the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Speeches and Events sub-series consists of two boxes and is arranged alphabetically. This sub-series documents the Mayor's involvement in these events through planning notes, correspondence, event schedules, budgets, and speech scripts. A large portion of this sub-series is dedicated to the Mayor's trip to Japan in 1996 and to China and Japan in 1998.
The Topical sub-series consists of one box and is arranged alphabetically by the folder title. These titles were assigned by a member of Mayor Murphy's staff from 1993-1997. Most of these files relate to economic redevelopment initiatives and grants (federal and state level) addressing environmental clean up, police officers, and homelessness. The files contain correspondence, reports, presentations, grant applications, and notes.
Series IV: Correspondence (1993-1998)
The Correspondence series consists of twelve boxes and is arranged following the filing system in the Mayor's office, in which they were filed by chronologically by the date the mail was received in the Office. It includes letters from Pittsburgh citizens; City personnel; legislators in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.; community organizations; and local businesses as well as some from overseas. The letters address complaints and concerns, congratulations and thank-yous, business information, and inquiries about employment with the City. In some instances, notes from the Mayor's staff or copies of the Mayor's response are present with the correspondence.
For security reasons, bank account numbers, social security numbers, salary information, and vehicle identification numbers have been redacted in this series. Correspondence from the management of the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins has also been separated into their own folders at the end of the series.
Series V: Housing Authority (1993-1996)
The Housing Authority series consists of one box and is arranged alphabetically by topical folder heading. Minutes of the Board meetings and monthly reports from the Authority to the Board make up the bulk of this series. The reports cover topics such as rent, unit vacancies, personnel, applications, development, legal issues, and the Housing Authority Police Department. The minutes and reports cover the time period between December 1993 and June 1995. There are also five folders containing reports and other items that are likely related to the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
Series VI: Management and Budget Office (2002-2004)
The Management and Budget series consists of one box and contains reports that are arranged chronologically. These reports were compiled from data created using the City of Pittsburgh's CitiStat computer tracking system. The reports were issued from the Office of Management and Budget from January 2002 through June 2004. These reports were used to increase the efficiency of City departments such as General Services, Public Works, Environmental Services, Finance, and the Bureau of Building Inspections. Every two weeks, a group would meet with the heads of the involved departments to discuss the most recent CitiStat reports and check on the progress of the departments since the last meeting. The group consisted of Mayor Murphy, Tom Cox (Executive Secretary), Sal Sirabella or Bob Kennedy (Deputy Mayor of Operations), Ellen McLean (Budget Office), Jacqueline Marrow (Law Department), and Barbara Parees (Personnel). These reports document the City's efforts to target problem areas in an effort to increase efficiency and decrease spending.
Series VII: Neighborhoods Coordinator (1984-2005)
The Neighborhoods Coordinator Series is divided into three subseries: Neighborhoods, Topical Files, and the West End Housing Assurance Value (WE-HAV). The folders retain the original headings allocated by the office of the Neigborhoods Coordinator, Judy Dyda, and are alphabetized within their respective subseries. This series reflects the duties of Mayor Tom Murphy and the Neighborhoods Coordinator's office in their efforts to gather complaints, suggestions, statistics, and histories pertaining to the advancement of the many neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.
The Neighborhoods subseries contains strategy meeting minutes, statistical reports, and related correspondence for individual neighborhoods within the City of Pittsburgh. There are also event programs and correspondence relating to specific neighborhood groups, including Neighbors in the Strip, the Sheraden Garden Club, and the Troy Hill Citizens. A considerable portion of this subseries is devoted to revitalization and development of urban spaces within the neighborhoods. Some of the proposed projects include plans for the Palisades Racetrack in the South Side, Saw Mill Run Boulevard development, and North Side improvements involving the Garden Theatre and surrounding businesses.
The Topical Files subseries contains folders defined by the Neighborhoods Coordinator's office for various research activities and committees. Among the topics represented are miscellaneous community development ideas, a policy overview for Mayor Murphy's development strategies, and reports on neighborhood safety, progress, and vacant properties. There are three folders of Neighborhood Action Report Meeting materials from 1995. These meetings were held in a central location for several neighborhoods and gave residents an opportunity for a two-way discussion with the Mayor and representatives of city departments.
The West End Housing Assurance Value (WE-HAV) subseries holds the records for the general planning of the program, elections of its Board of Commissioners, and the program's subsequent activities. WE-HAV is a program modeled after Chicago's successful Home Equity Assurance Program (HEAP). The intent is to insure long-term property values in the West End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, including Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, East Carnegie, Elliott, Esplen, Fairywood, Oakwood, Ridgemont, Sheraden, West End, Westwood, and Windgap.
Series VIII: Operations (1994-1996)
The Operations Series is arranged into two subseries, Departmental "Follow-Up" and Deputy Mayor "Follow-Up." The Deputy Mayor's, Sal Sirabella's, office labeled folders with the names of department heads to whom citizens' complaints and other tactical issues were referred. These folders comprise the Departmental "Follow-Up" subseries which is arranged alphabetically by the title of the department, bureau, or office. The Deputy Mayor "Follow-Up" subseries consists of follow-up, a term designated by the Mayor's office to describe reviews of and responses to citizen grievances and inquiries.
The Operations series contains letters written and phone messages left with the Mayor's Service Center (MSC) by private citizens. This correspondence pertains to street cleaning and repairs, parking tickets, building and zoning issues, police and public safety service, and general commentary on the quality of service provided by the city to its citizens. It also holds related correspondence, brochures, photographs, articles, reports, and other evidence of research into the claims made by constituents and citizen groups.
The Departmental "Follow-Up" subseries is arranged chronologically and consists of correspondence to and from the citizens of Pittsburgh and several of the city's departments including City Planning, Finance, Law, Public Safety, and Public Works among others. It focuses on concerns and issues pertaining to the department's jurisdiction while the Deputy Mayor "Follow-Up" subseries is broader in scope. A significant portion of the Deputy Mayor "Follow-Up" pertains to public safety statistics, complaints of police harassment and abuse of power, and efforts made by the Mayor's office to rectify concerns of unprofessional conduct within the Department of Public Safety.
Series IX: Policy (1993-1995)
The Policy Series contains correspondence and memoranda sent to the mayor's office and Deputy Mayor Sal Sirabella by the office of the Chief of Police and the City Clerk's office. The series is arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within the folder.
The folders contain information, primarily sent by the Chief of Police, Earl Buford, regarding police operations. These items include statistical crime reports; overtime pay reports; premium reports; job assignments; reports of special programs such as Community Oriented Policing (COP) and Organized Crime, Narcotics, and Intelligence (ONI); budget reductions; Sergeant Interview forms; complaints filed against and by police officers; press releases; payroll spreadsheets; and miscellaneous meeting minutes.
This series also contains resolutions sent to the mayor's office via the City Clerk, Linda M. Johnson-Wasler.
Series X: Scheduling Secretary (1983-2004)
The Scheduling Secretary series consists of one and half boxes and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. These files were kept by Rosemary Fisher and Laurie Dierker and contain samples of invitations and correspondence for the Mayor as well as other miscellaneous documents used by the Mayor's secretary. Most of these files date from 1997-1998 and 2002-2004. Duplicates of budgets and reports present in other series of this collection have been removed. Of interest are the files of correspondence from Pittsburgh citizens during a controversial time in the Mayor's tenure as well as the Personal Thank You files which contain notes from a wide variety of local and international acquaintances.
Series XI: Senior Executive Assistant (1974-1994)
The Senior Executive Assistant series consists of one box and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. These files were kept by Anthony Boule and contain documentation about the preparation and transition period of the Mayor's staff from 1993-1994. These files contain a number of background documents such as the Home Rule Charter, union contracts, and a 1990 Census of Population and Housing. The files also contain reports, white papers, notes, and correspondence. Of interest is the 'Mayor's Office Visit' file which shows how the Mayor's staff documented the short meetings between the Mayor and his visitors.
Series XII: Special Events (1995-2001)
The Special Events series contains agendas, permits, permit applications, and cancelled permits that were submitted to the Mayor's Special Events Committee (SEC) for permission to use city property and to request the assistance of public safety officers. To maintain the original order of the records, the series is arranged chronologically. Applications include those that were both rejected and approved as well as some that were not marked with a definitive action. Agendas were filed for the years 1999-2001 and serve as a summary for applications submitted for the SEC's approval. In this series there are no records for 1997-1998.
Permit applications were submitted by community groups and persons to the SEC, headed by Nadine Brnilovich, and provided a summary of the event, pertinent tax information, and safety requirements for the event. Permits were issued for a variety of community events including races, parades, walkathons, pep rallies, farmers markets, festivals, block parties, and many other events such as the annual Vintage Grand Prix or the seasonal sports games. Photocopies were made of self-adhesive notes found on applications and the original note discarded for preservation purposes.
Series XIII: Topical files (1985-2005)
The Topical Files series contains 25 boxes and has been arranged into three sub-series. Sub-series have been designated for Working Files, Reports, and Storage. The materials in these three sub-series are very similar and the division of the series merely reflects different storage locations. Therefore, information about certain organizations and projects may appear across all three subseries.
The Working files sub-series consists of 8 boxes and has been arranged alphabetically following its arrangement in the Mayor's filing cabinets. Major categories in his filing system are Agencies and Organizations, Allegheny County, Animal Groups, Articles, Banks, Cities, City Code, City Council, Corporations, Development, Departments and Authorities, Development Projects, Elections, Events, Federal Issues, Foundations, Hospitals, Mayor's Initiatives, Mayor- Personal, Museums, Neighborhoods, Pensions, Schools, Sister Cities, Speeches, Sports, State Issues, Trails, Transportation, Unions, and Universities. These files contain correspondence, reports and publicity material.
The Reports sub-series consist of 5 boxes and are arranged alphabetically by the name of the department or organization that authored the report material. Materials in this sub-series include budget and financial information, annual reports, and publicity documents. An exception is the folders for the Regional Renaissance Initiative which contains correspondence from Pittsburgh citizens about the Mayor's "Plan B" for sports stadiums and the building of a new addition to the convention center. Many of these reports come from city government offices and projects. Other reports deal with charitable and non-profit organizations in Pittsburgh.
The Storage sub-series consist of 12 boxes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title. The materials in this sub-series are very similar to the previous two sub-series, although these files were moved to a storage place sometime around 2000.
Conditions Governing Access
One container of material has been separated and labeled "Sensitive and Restricted." This material will only be made available to researchers with strict supervision by Library and Archives Staff. .
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These records were received in a single accession in December 2005 from Thomas J. Murphy. Special thanks to Rosemary Fisher for her valued assistance in the transfer of these records from the Mayor's office to the Heinz History Center.
Archives Accession #: 2006.0031--Gift of Thomas J. Murphy.
Preferred Citation
Records of the Mayor Thomas J. Murphy Administration (Pittsburgh, PA), 1974-2005 ,MSS 499, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Cassandra Nespor and Brandi Liskey Belleau in November 2008.
Thank you to the History Center volunteers who helped arrange this collection: Luke Coryea, Pat Finkle, Matt Gorzalski, Kellyn Hoffman, Jeanne Hoover, Chris Lange, Karl Meyer, Erin Nelson, Jane Pokorski, Chrissy Ranke, Robin Sencenbach, and Maggie West.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Related Materials
Pennsylvania State Archives Thomas J. Murphy Papers, Manuscript Group 444
Separated Materials
Series I: Campaign Files- Photocopies of personal donation checks were removed and destroyed.
Photographs have been separated and arranged as MSP #499.
Oversized materials have been separated and arranged as MSO #499.
Subjects
- Mayors--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Murphy, Thomas J., 1944-
- PNC Park (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Community development, Urban -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh.
- Correspondence
- reports
- clippings
- financial records
- municipal government records
- intergovernmental records
- Municipal government--Pennsylvania --Pittsburgh
- Municipal officials and employees--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
- Finance, Public--Pennsylvania --Pittsburgh
- Municipal services
- City planning and redevelopment law
- Economic development projects--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
- Municipal corporations--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Communication in politics
- Constituent correspondence
- Political campaigns--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Communication in politics