The Norman Murphy Award

Following the death in 2016 of the noted Wodehouse scholar Norman Murphy, then TWS vice president Tom Smith conceived the Norman Murphy Award as a way to honor him. Tom designed a medal with an image of Norman on one side and a pipe and stack of books on the other, along with the words “To Elucidate and Educate”; the medal is suspended on a purple ribbon. The award is presented at each convention to the society member(s) who has (or have) “provided singular service to the Society or . . . made significant contributions to Wodehouse scholarship.” The medal and its purpose beautifully reflect Norman’s dedication to spreading sweetness and light in all things Wodehouse.

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February 10, 2025

Submitted by: The Wodehouse Society

At the 2017 convention in Washington, D.C., one of Tom’s first acts as the new president was to present the very first medal to Norman’s widow, Elin Woodger Murphy, in recognition of her many years of volunteer service to the society. Gary Hall also received the Norman Murphy Award in tribute to his years as editor of Plum Lines plus other contributions to the life of the society. Since 2017, deserving winners of the Norman Murphy Medal have been: Neil Midkiff (2019); Elliott Milstein (2022); Karen Shotting and Noel Merrill (2024).

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