Mr. Murphy, the first principal at Leesville, opened the school with the end in mind. His end goal was to have an outstanding high school. The legacy he left still continues today.
On Tuesday, April 24, the Wake County School Board voted to rename the East Building to honor former Leesville principal Richard Murphy.
The change was announced by Leesville Interim Principal Dr. Tom Dixon. Dixon, in a special announcement, said over the intercom some of the things that Murphy had accomplished including how he lead the movement for the new building.
Former Leesville Social Studies teacher Mary Propes, who is part of a committee made up of “former teachers, administrators, alumni, parent leaders, family and friends” to commemorate Mr. Murphy’s legacy, said via email, “Our reasoning for both the scholarship and the building name center around Mr. Murphy’s emphasis on high academic expectations for all students.”
She was part of a committee made up of “former teachers, administrators, alumni, parent leaders, family and friends.”
Propes, a 35-year veteran of the Wake County School System, talked about how Mr. Murphy had to push hard for the county to give Leesville the new building.
“Mr. Murphy was the driving force behind the construction of the East building. By the third year the school was open, Leesville had mobile classroom units, and our population grew more rapidly with each academic year.”
She also mentioned that the building was built to be more progressive, saying that it was for “classrooms, art rooms, technology labs,specially outfitted rooms for special programs classes, and a music room.”
The building will fittingly be named the Murphy Classroom Building; any sign or plaque that commemorates it will be supplied via private funding and not county money.
One of the last things that Propes said in the email certainly resonates.
“It is appropriate, in light of Mr. Murphy’s death, to name the building in his honor because of his steadfast dedication to academics and his leadership in getting the building approved, designed, and built.”
