St. Philip’s College Alumna Celebrates 107th Birthday

Dr. Mike Flores, left, and Dr. Adena Williams Loston, right, celebrated Gertha Lockett Murphy’s 106th birthday with a grand affair, attended by family and friends. 2019.

At 107-years-old, Gertha Lockett Murphy is the St. Philip’s College and Alamo Colleges District’s oldest-living alumna. Murphy was born on May 20, 1913, in Goodwill, Texas, a small community in Washington County. She is the daughter of late farmers and the granddaughter of a former U.S. slave. Murphy graduated from St. Philip’s in 1936 and worked in civil service for 27 years at Kelly Air Force Base. At the age of 60, she earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of the Incarnate Word and taught Pre-K for six years.

In 2019, the college honored and celebrated Murphy with a 106th birthday bash hosted by President Dr. Adena Williams Loston. The event was attended by Chancellor Mike Flores, SPC and ACD employees, and Murphy’s family and friends. Murphy is active at the college and never misses St. Philip’s Homecoming festivities. She has met every one of the college’s presidents, including President Emeritus Artemisia Bowden.