author
Myrtle Cheney Murdock
1885–1980
A teacher-turned-writer, she turned Washington, D.C., into a place ordinary readers could explore through lively guides to monuments, memorials, and the Capitol. Her work also helped revive interest in Constantino Brumidi, the artist behind some of the U.S. Capitol’s best-known murals.
1 Audiobook
Constantino Brumidi, Michelangelo of the United States Capitol
by Myrtle Cheney Murdock
About the author
Born in 1885, she taught school in Missouri, Oklahoma, and later Arizona before building a writing career connected to public life in Washington. Archival records and historical profiles describe her as a former English and physical education teacher at Phoenix College and as the wife of Arizona congressman John R. Murdock.
She wrote newspaper columns as well as books that introduced readers to the capital’s landmarks and civic history. Her known works include Your Uncle Sam in Washington, Your Memorials in Washington, National Statuary Hall in the Nation’s Capitol, and The American’s Creed and William Tyler Page.
She is also remembered for helping bring renewed attention to Constantino Brumidi, the Capitol artist sometimes called the "Michelangelo of the Capitol." Myrtle Cheney Murdock died in 1980, leaving behind a body of work centered on American history, government, and the stories built into Washington’s public spaces.