James A. Murphy (1934-2013) was a research supervisor at Joseph Bancroft & Sons and then a technical marketing consultant for the DuPont Company in the Textile Fibers Department.

Murphy was born January 20, 1934, in Kewanee, Illinois, to Arlene Lippert Murphy (1907-2004) and Alphonse Murphy (1907-1986). After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1955, he served in the U.S. Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After his service, he moved to Delaware, where he worked ten years for Joseph Bancroft & Sons as a research supervisor.

In 1966, Murphy went to work for the DuPont Company in the Textile Fibers Department as a technical marketing consultant. He played a key role in assuring the production quality of Lycra. He retired from the company after thirty-three years in 1999.

He died on April 28, 2013, from complications following surgery.