WILL THE REAL "DROPKICK" MURPHY PLEASE STAND UP.
By Peter Vuono

     About 5 years ago, I entertained at a block party in the predominantly Irish part of Dorchester Ma. As I was setting up, I listened to  a different and pleasant type of rock which combined Celtic roots and hard core punk. I asked the kids who was playing and they immediately said,"The Dropkick Murphys". I, of course, had heard of them being from the Boston area but I wondered if anyone who ever heard of the name knew from where it's true origin came.
     John Murphy was born in Malden, Ma. a northern suburb of Boston on May 12,1912. As a young man he excelled in football but was later drawn to an academic route and entered the Mass. College of Medicine.
John graduated  with an medical doctorate in osteopathy. John grew up tall and strong and had strikingly  good looks. He had natural blond hair and in spite of his handsome and chiseled  appearance he wasn't afraid to risk it and turned to boxing.
    Although he was successful in this venture, his athleticism and fan appeal with the Boston audience caught the attention of Boston wrestling promoter, Paul Bowser. Bowser persuaded Murphy to train as a pro wrestler at  the famed Boston Arena on St. Botolph St. Decades later this arena was renamed the Matthews arena and would host a complete AWA show staring the Road Warriors.
    Murphy's good looks, athletic background and fan  appeal took off and he wrestled all over the country and in Canada. He wrestled well named opponents in the 30's and 40's such as legendary actor/wrestler/stuntman Hard Boiled Haggerty, Lee Henning, Tarzan White and Baron Mikel Leone.
    After garnering enough money, Murphy decided to expand his business pursuits and bought an estate at 40 Davis Road in Acton, Ma. It was called Bellows Farm and it was purchased as the new site of Dr. Murphy's boxer/wrestler training camp where Dr. Murphy, himself would do all the training. Much to his surprise, however, too many of the trainees would arrive hung over and far too frequently.
   It was then that Murphy realized that perhaps his skills of being an MD were more important than his athletic enterprises. He turned Bellows Farm into a hospital for those with alcoholism. In those days alcoholism was considered a character disorder and not a disease. Therefore all clients who were serviced by Dr. Murphy and his wife were kept confidential.
  Murphy abandoned wrestling completely to service those suffering with addiction. Bellows Farm remained in operation until 1971. Dr. Murphy passed on  Oct. 17, 1977. The farm was removed and the only clue of it's existence is that a street in Acton is named Bellows Farm Rd.
  Dr. Murphy left behind an amazing albeit unknown legacy. He was one of only two pro wrestlers to have a legitimate MD.( Dr. Sam Sheppard had the other and Dr. Big Bill Miler was a Vet, and Brit Baker is a DMD) and more than that, he abandoned his dream of a training camp to help service those who suffered.
  Dropkick Murphy bass guitarist Ken Casey had mentioned that he heard many an old timer mention a dry out place named Dropkick Murphy's. He mentioned that he and the band loved the name even before they had a band. This author can tell you that the name Dropkick Murphy means a lot more than that.