Murphy later served as editor and publisher of the San Francisco Examiner and publisher and CEO of the Baltimore Sun. From 1996 to 1998, Murphy was president and CEO of the National Geographic Society. 

In addition to his achievements in the field of journalism, Murphy served as president of the United States Golf Association from 1994 to 1995, and among the many boards on which he has served as a member and/or officer are: Board of Visitors, College of Journalism, University of Maryland; Board of Trustees, The Johns Hopkins Hospital; Board of Trustees, San Francisco State University; Board of Trustees, California Institute of Technology; and the Baltimore Literacy Foundation. In 2012, he served as executive-in-residence at the College of Coastal Georgia, and he currently serves on Mercer’s National Journalism Advisory Board and the boards of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and Coastal Georgia Foundation. 

Murphy wrote a biography of another notable Mercer alumnus, former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, titled Uncommon Sense: The Achievement of Griffin Bell. Murphy has remained a loyal alumnus and supporter of the University, having served five terms on the Mercer Board of Trustees. He was also the Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient in 1971 and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University in 1975. 

Murphy and his wife, Diana, have been loyal supporters of several areas of the University, including the Mercer Athletic Foundation, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Mercer University Press. In recognition of their generous support, they were named Life Members of The President’s Club in 2000.