Marilyn Murphy knows what it’s like to be on the edge. The 1956 OCW graduate spent
1993-94 in a small motor home driving the entire perimeter of the United States and
interviewing various people who had chosen to live on the edge of our country. The
Albuquerque Journal published a series of 13 feature articles about the journey, along
with Murphy’s color photographs, entitled, “Letters from the Edge.” She also authored
a book about her adventures called On the Edge: Traveling the Perimeter of America.
Murphy earned her Master’s at the University of Denver in 1960 and her Ph.D in education
at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1973. She held teaching and directorial
positions in the Albuquerque Public School system for 25 years, was the Field Director
for the Girl Scouts of America for five years and was an adjunct assistant professor
at the University of New Mexico’s College of Education for 14 years. Although she
says she is primarily self-taught, Murphy has studied with several well-known photographers.
She has exhibited her work in numerous arts and crafts shows around New Mexico and
the Southwest, and has won numerous awards for her work.