Archibald Murphey

Archibald DeBow Murphey (c. 1777 – February 1, 1832) was an attorney, jurist, and politician in North Carolina who was known as the "Father of Education" in his state.

His father Archibald Murphey served in the Revolutionary Army in North Carolina; his mother, Jane DeBow, was from New Jersey.

He moved to Hillsborough, North Carolina to study law with William Duffy, an established attorney, from July to November 1801, at the home now known as Twin Chimneys.

In 1817, Murphey submitted a legislative report recommending that North Carolina create a publicly financed system of education, which he believed critical to the future of the state.

He began to research a history of the State of North Carolina, compiling numerous papers and historical documents.