2020 AWARDS & RECOGNITION
JOHN D . MURPHY AWARD
Anyone who had the pleasure of personally knowing John D . Murphy understands that this award is an award to be treasured by its recipient . Unfortunately , it is with sorrow and personal remorse , but , also with a sense of tremendous pride that this year ’ s recipient will be the first person to be posthumously awarded the John D . Murphy Man of the Year Award .
This year ’ s recipient is Paul Richard Hartley , Sr . Richard would be bursting with pride to know that he had received this particular award . Richie , or Richard , depending on what you called him , and John Murphy were good friends and both worked tirelessly to make Greenville and Butler County a better place to live and to work . John visited Richie ’ s office on many occasion to discuss matters of importance to Greenville and Butler County , whether it be about the Industrial Development Board , the Butler County Board of Education or school system , or some matter related to education - or some civic matter or some effort for the creation of jobs and businesses in our community . Longtime law partner and friend , Frank Hickman , was in attendance at the Chamber Banquet to present the award to Richie and delivered an outstanding account of Richie ’ s life . “ Because of that important relationship between Richie and John , I think it is entirely appropriate that Richie ’ s legacy be honored with John ’ s award ,” Hickman said . “ It is certainly well deserved . For those of you who may not know , Richie and I were law partners and practiced law together for 43 years - that is like being married , without the benefits .”
“ Richard Hartley was a difference maker . He cared deeply about Butler County and its future , he loved being involved in anything that would make Butler County a better place to work and live . He viewed education to be the key that unlocked the door to our future successes , and understood , as did John Murphy , that education and job creation and economic development were all tied together ,”
Hickman said . Because of that belief , and his love of politics , Richie was elected six times by the voters of Butler County as the Chairman of the Board of Education , serving the children of Butler County for 24 years . Richie also served 24 years on the State Democratic Executive Committee and for many years as the Chairman of the Butler County Democratic Party .
Richie served the City of Greenville as its attorney for 36 years , first serving in 1980 for Mayor Jamie Etheridge and then again in 1988 for Mayor Ernie Smith and continuing to serve continuously thereafter with Mayor Dexter McLendon until his death in February 2020 . Richie also served as the Attorney for the Cities of Georgiana and Evergreen and the Town of McKenzie , holding all these jobs at the same time until his death . “ Richie loved the law and saw how the law could positively impact people ’ s lives ,” Hartley said .
Richie was very active in the Alabama State Bar Association , serving on the Board of Bar Commissioners , which is a group of lawyers elected by lawyers to oversee the activities of all the other lawyers in our state . Richie served on numerous Committees of the State Bar , serving wherever he could to help . He served on the ground floor of a Bar committee that developed a self-insured insurance company which became Attorneys Insurance Mutual , or AIM , a company which was formed in 1988 to provide malpractice insurance coverage for Alabama attorneys when that type coverage
was either not available or too expensive to obtain for the average lawyer . Because of his efforts , Richie was elected to serve on the AIM board of directors in 1989 and served continuously until his death , being re-elected numerous times by fellow lawyers . AIM now serves lawyers in Alabama and in Tennessee and is quite successful thanks in part to Richie ’ s efforts . Richie ’ s desire to serve the public ’ s good and to be involved in the community did not stop with the law , or with politics and local governments . He also served his country as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve , rising to the rank of Captain . Richie was also active in local civic clubs and social organizations and with his Church , St . Thomas Episcopal , where he served in numerous capacities as a lay person . Richie was a loving husband to Marion and loving father to Richie , Gantt , and Nicholas , and a super grandfather to seven beautiful grandchildren . “ Richie was a great friend to many of you sitting in this room tonight . Friendship with Richie was not a one way street as it can be with some folks . He would do for you just as much or more than you would do for him . He was loyal and could be counted on which is a tremendous trait for anyone ,” Hickman said . “ He and I practiced law together on a ‘ handshake ” agreement for the first 35 years , without any serious disagreements , before putting our agreement down in writing .”
“ You could not have selected a better recipient for the John D . Murphy Award ,” Hickman said .
“ Richie ’ s efforts , combined with the efforts of others in this community , who shared his vision , working together for a common goal , produced a synergy , or an effect or result which made Greenville and Butler County a better place for everybody . Richie was a difference maker in life and that fact is one to be celebrated and to be honored , and that is exactly what you did by presenting him with this award .”
35