Posted by Merl G. Hutto on September 29, 2010:

Yearling year, Art Murphy and Don Schnepf invited me to become their roommate. The three of us became the active part of the "Regulars", and that made the drudgery of Cadet life acceptable. While conforming to the honor code, we were active in flaunting authority yet meeting our academic deadlines and goals. Arthur was in the upper 5% of the class, while Don and were comfortably in the middle of the Class grade wise. I do not recall Arthur ever studying, but he was always ready to assist anyone who needed scholastic help. One day as I napped between classes, Art shook me and said, "Get up we have to go take a physical". The three of us reported for the physical and Don failed the eye examination as he wore contacts, but Art and I passed and we were enrolled in the flying program. Arthur was not successful in primary school and so he graduated into the Corps of Engineers and took up law. In our last year we separated for Christmas break, Art and I returned, but Don got involved rescuing a plebe from an 2nd Lieutenant at the ferry station and was written up. The results were, he was turned back a year by President Truman and returned home. He graduated with the Class of 1947. So for the last few months Arthur and I had no third roommate. When we graduated from West Point in 1946, I asked Art to be my best man at our wedding the Old Chapel. We kept track of each other throughout ours careers. Later Art attended Harvard and became a lawyer. He served both in the Far East and in Europe. I was in the Air Force so we did not meet often until we were both in Washington DC. Art was assigned to the Patent Office and I was in the DASA. He managed to meet the Secretary of Defense's Secretary and married her. So when I wrote my Master's Thesis at George Washington University, she typed it for me. When I was promoted to Colonel he came to the wrong conclusion that he would not and he retired to become the Professor of Law at Dickinson College in Penn. His legal skills were so well respected that he was requested to be a legal advisor to the Supreme Court. He chose to remain in teaching at Dickinson and became the Professor Emeritus in 1992. Art was a true friend, he exhibited the highest intellectual skills and was always there if one needed him. He was generous and caring, we have lost a great man. Merl G. Hutto Col USAF (Retired)

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