Orrice Abram Murdock Jr.

Orrice Abram "Abe" Murdock Jr. (July 18, 1893 – September 15, 1979) was a United States Representative and Senator from Utah. Born in Austin, Nevada, he moved with his parents to Beaver, Utah, in 1898, attended the public schools and Murdock Academy in Beaver, and the University of Utah at Salt Lake City. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1922, commencing practice in Beaver. He was a member of the Beaver city council in 1920 and 1921, and was county attorney in 1923–24, 1927–28, and 1931-32. He was city attorney of Beaver from 1926 to 1933, and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for district attorney for the fifth Utah district in 1928.

Orrice Abram Murdock Jr.
United States Senator from Utah
In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947
Preceded by	William H. King
Succeeded by	Arthur V. Watkins
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah's 1st district
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941
Preceded by	Don B. Colton
Succeeded by	Walter K. Granger
Personal details
Born	Orrice Abram Murdock Jr. (1893-07-18)July 18, 1893 Austin, Nevada
Died	September 15, 1979(1979-09-15) (aged 86) Bethesda, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Violet Yardley Murdock
Children	William Orrice Murdock Abram Riggs Murdock Daniel Beck Murdock Jane Elizabeth Murdock Jaremko Mary Violet Murdock Christensen Cinda Murdock Sengstack
Alma mater	University of Utah

Murdock was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-third Congress and was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1941. Instead of running for reelection in 1940, he challenged incumbent Senator William H. King for the Democratic nomination. King had opposed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's proposal to expand the Supreme Court and Roosevelt's candidacy for an unprecedented third term, while Murdock was a "100% New Dealer" who strongly supported Roosevelt.[1] Murdock defeated King for the nomination and was elected as a Democrat to the Senate, serving from January 3, 1941, to January 3, 1947.

Murdock was defeated by Republican Arthur Vivian Watkins in his bid for reelection in 1946. After his defeat, he resumed the practice of law and engaged in agricultural pursuits and livestock raising. From 1947 to 1957, he was a member of the National Labor Relations Board and in 1960 was a member of the Atomic Energy Labor-Management Relations Panel.

Murdock died of natural causes in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1979, and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Beaver, Utah.