Thomas Wharton Phillips
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Thomas Wharton Phillips | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 25th district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Eugene P. Gillespie |
| Succeeded by | Joseph B. Showalter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 23, 1835 |
| Died | July 12, 1912 (aged 77) New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouses | Clarinda Hardman
(m. 1862; died 1866)Pamphila Hardman (m. 1871) |
| Children | Thomas Wharton Phillips Jr. |
Thomas Wharton Phillips (February 23, 1835 – July 21, 1912) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Phillips was born near Mount Jackson, Pennsylvania, in that section of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, now included in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Ephram Phillips (1795–1835) and Ann Phillips (1796–1866).[1] Phillips is a descendant of the Reverend George Phillips.
He attended the common schools and was also privately instructed.[2]
Career
He engaged in the production of oil, and served as president of the Producers’ Protective Association from 1887 to 1890. He was president of the Citizens’ National Bank of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and a member of the board of trustees of Bethany College, West Virginia, and of Hiram College, Ohio.[2]
Phillips was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth Congresses. He was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Labor during the Fifty-fourth Congress. He did not seek renomination in 1896. He resumed his former pursuits, and was appointed a member of the United States Industrial Commission by President William McKinley and served until its dissolution. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1908.[2]
In 1906, Phillips was approached by his friend, Dr. Ely Zollars, for help in establishing a bible college in what was then the Oklahoma Territory. Mr. Phillips agreed to pay Dr. Zollars' salary for one year while his friend sought to secure a location for the school. Phillips became a longtime benefactor of the school which was initially called Oklahoma Christian University.[3]
