West Chester University - Serpentine Yearbook (West Chester, PA)

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PATHFINDER igio esteem. At the age of sixteen vears, he was aihnitted tu Lewisburg ' (now Biicknell) Uni ersity and tonk higli rank in all his classes, graduating with honors, in 1871, in the classical course, witli the degree of A. B. Immediately after his graduation, he was offered the professorship of natural sciences in the West Chester State Nor- mal School, then just opening its doors. Ijut was obliged to decline it, as he had already accepted the professorship of mathematics in Alonongahela College, Jefferson, Greene County, Pa. Despite the difticulties incident to the building up of a new colleo-e, which would have disheartened one of less heroic mould, Professor Philips achieved marked success there, the earnest of greater achievements yet to follow. He had intended, eventually, to enter the legal profession, but not being able to shun his manifest destinv, the teaching ])rofession still claims him. The gain to the legal profession would un- doubtedly have been very great, but the events of the last thirty years pro -e conclusi ely that the educational world W( mid ha e suffered a proportionately serious loss. It is interesting and significant to note here that Dr. Philips has been in the thought of the various boards of trustees of the (ist Chester State Normal School from the beginning until now, a period of nearly forty years. Though he was obliged to decline their first offer, the l)i)ard did not lose sight of him. unanimously tendering him in ? Iarch. 1S73. the pro- fessorship of higher mathematics, which was accepted, and the school felt the charm anil impulse of his scholarly and enthusi- astic teachin,g for more than five years. In 1878, to the keen regret of the West Chester people, he resigned to accept the professorship of mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy at Bucknell Uni -ersity. Si. months before, he had married Elizabeth Marshall Pyle, the acconiplished young woman who taught instru- mental music and J ' rench in the State Normal Sclnjol and whi , thanks to a kind I ' roxidence, still presides o -er his household with dignity and grace and is a zealous and efficient wurker in musical, literary, temperance and social circles connected with the school, the church and the community. It mav l)e mentioned here, also, with special interest that two children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Philips. Both graduated from the Normal School and afterwards from higher institutions, William Pyle Philips, now a promising young attrirney of New York City, from Ha erford College. Harvard L ' ni ersity and the Harvard Law School, and Sarah Elizal)eth Philips, from V ' assar College, where her talent as a singer soon brought her into prominence. The trustees of the West Chester State Normal School still kept Prof. Philips in mintl, and in 18S1 elected him principal of

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igio PATHFINDER (3C0XQC nnovns philips, flMxH)., X1L.2). IPiincipal oi tbc State IRormal Scbool Mest Cbcstcr, pcnn5v lvanta EORGE MORRIS PHILIPS, Ph.D.,LL.D., Prindpal .,f tlie Stale N..mial School , West Chester, Pennsylvania, widely known and esteemed as an educator, is descended fmni an did Chester County family. In 1755, Joseph I ' hilips emigrated with his family from Wales to this count r)- and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His great grandson, John Morris Philips, born in Chester County, married Sarah Jones, also a native of the county, being a daughter of Judge Thomas Jones, whose ancestors in 171- had also emigrated here from Wales. George Morris Philips is the son of John Morris and Sarah (Jones) Philips, and was Ixirn in 1851 at Penningtonville (now Atglen), Chester County, Pennsylvania. He is thus descended from the sturdy Welsh stock noted, especially, for its physical and intellectual vigor, strength of character and intense patriotism. Three sons of Joseph Philips served in the colonial army during the Revolutionary war; the second son, John, from w honi Dr. Philips derives his title as a member of the Order of the Sons of the Revolution, was first lieutenant in the Chester County battalion. The father of Dr. Philijis was a man of great influence in the communitv bec-;use of his valuable personal qualities, and his mother was a woman of rare Christian graces and mental endowments, who lived to the advanced age of eighty-three years, honored and beloved by all who knew her and felt the warmtli of her kindlv nature. It has been said that ance ' try renders a good man more illus- trious. While the truth of this may be conceded, the converse is equally capable of demonstration, that a good man may add new lustre to a noble ancestry. The boy, George Morris Philips, received his elementary education in the schools of the neighborhood and prepared for college at the local academy conducted by Professor William E. Buck, to whom Dr. Philiiis often refers with gratitude and

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iqio PATHFINDER the scliodl. Biickntll was natiirall}- luatli n ])art with one of her youngest and most distinguished professors, but he deemed it the call of duty to embark in the larger undertaking, accepted the principalship and, August the first, entered upon its duties and upon what was, indeed, destined to be a distinguished career of service. Dr. Philips will thus soon complete thirty-five years of service in the school, and round out a memorable term of thirty years as principal, and the school that has felt liis guiding hand for this long period is now in the forefront of kindred institu- tions. The number of students has increased from two hundred and forty to more than nine hundred enrolled this vear ( iqio), and the cost of the numerous l)uildings and equipments of the Xornial School |)lant has reached $750,000. The graduates of the school have, ir. the main, followed teaching as a profession, and are to be found in all grades, from tlic i)rimary school to the university, while hundreds today are also filling honorable iiositions in a score of other professions antl useful vocations and, years after graduation, whatever their occupation may be. they ha e freely conceded that they cannot properly estimate the value of the inspiration ihev received from personal contact with l.)r. Pbili])s. who, either as teacher or adviser, spurred them to put forth their best efforts and seize every opportunity for self-improvement. While the chief concern of Dr. Philips is the great school of which he is the head, he has in every way possible lent his aid to advance general educational interests. He is in constant demand in Pennsylvania and other States as an institute instructor am! lecturer. His subjects, drawn from his varied experiences of the past forty years, co er a wide range. In 1888, he vis- ited the Pacific Coast, and has visited Europe three times, seeing most of the western and southern jjarts of it. He observed schools of all grades, met many distinguished men and is now delivering valuable and entertaining lectures based upon what he saw and heard, but he has the happy faculty of making an address on arithmetic, comets, business methods or how we elect a President of the United States as interesting as a lecture on London, Italy or the Vello vstone Park, He is, perhaps, more widely known as an author of te.xt-lKioks. In collaboration with President Sharpless of Haverford College, he has written te.xt-books on .Vstronomy and Natural Philosophy. These, together with his own works on the Civil Government of Penn- sylvania and the Geography of Pennsylvania, and his most recent publication, Nation and State, have had a wide use. The last-named work is especiallv in demand, because of the comprehensiveness, directness and luciditv of statement that character- ize its pages, as well as all of Dr. IMiilips ' s addresses, lectures, magazine articles or class-room explanations. . s fiu ' ther evi- dence of his worth to the cause of education, it is notewortliv that Dr. Pliilips is a member and secretar ' of the .State Educa-