Murdock, Marshall M.

According to the September, 1931, issue of the Jayhawker, Col. Marshall M. Murdock was "a man of strong likes and dislikes. He could love and he could hate, and he loved to do both. He was a born newspaper man, and he made a success of his every journalistic effort."

Murdock was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1837 and moved with his family to Kansas in the 1850s. By the time the Civil War was over, he had become editor of the Burlingame Chronicle and had twice served as a state senator.

After becoming restless with eastern Kansas, Murdock moved to the growing city of Wichita. On April 12, 1872, he printed the first issue of the Wichita Eagle.

Said the Jayhawker, "The Eagle was the greatest journalistic success of the whole West, barring only the Kansas City Star. The Eagle made Wichita, and afterward Wichita made the Eagle."

Murdock wanted to name the newspaper the Victor in honor of his wife, Victoria, but she favored the Eagle. They flipped a coin to settle the question, and she called tails and won.

"Marsh" died in January, 1908.