Basic Biographical Details

Name: F Hardie Phillip
Designation:  
Born: 18 March 1888
Died: 10 October 1973
Bio Notes: F Hardie Phillip (generally known simply as Hardie Phillip) was born in Scone on 18 March 1888 and was educated at James Gillespie's School and George Heriot's School, Edinburgh. He was arguably the most successful of Robert Stodart Lorimer's assistants, working in his office first as articled pupil and then as assistant about 1905-1910, and was part of the James Smith Richardson-John Ross McKay-James Taylor Thomson circle there. Whilst with Lorimer he studied at Edinburgh School of Art and Heriot-Watt College. In 1910 he applied for an assistant's post with Jonathan Simpson in Bolton, Lancashire, but in the event he emigrated first to the Federal Malay States for two years, and then to New York. There he worked briefly in the firm of Cross & Cross before following his former colleague James Taylor Thomson to the office of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, to which he and Thomson brought experience of the detail, design and execution of Lorimer's Gothic woodwork.

Goodhue suffered from neurasthenia and died unexpectedly on 23 April 1924. Thomson having returned to Scotland for medical reasons in 1920, Phillip had achieved an important position in Goodhue's office and was one of the three senior assistants who became principals, the others being Francis L S Mayers and O H Murray. The practice title appears to have changed briefly to Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Associates but had become Mayers, Murray & Phillip by 1931. Phillip was the lead designer. The partners completed the Nebraska State Capitol, the National Academy of Science in Washington, Los Angeles Public Library, the Physics Building at Dabney Hall, Pasadena, the Fraternity House of the Rensselaer Society of Engineers, New York and Dillingham Hall, Panahou, Honolulu (1924-1930), and the Honolulu Academy of Arts (1924-27) which Phillip largely redesigned. Of the buildings which Phillip designed completely anew the most important were the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York (1926-29); Nu'nnano, Hawaii for Clarence Hyde Cook at the Bank of Hawaii; the C Brewer Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago (1931). In 1933 the firm was appointed Architects to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and thereafter was responsible for public buildings on most of the reservations throughout the USA, and in particular on those in New Mexico and Arizona, where they were responsible for the design of the New Navajo Capital in 1934.

Phillip was admitted as a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1925, and was elevated to Fellow in 1936 in recognition of his 'distinction in design of religious and educational buildings, in which the traditional forms of our art are applied in a truly original way. Producing modern buildings both beautiful in themselves and adapted to their use'.

The partnership of Mayers, Murray & Phillip was dissolved on 31 March 1940. Mayers retained the existing office at 2 West 47th Street; Murray moved to Rhinebeck, New York; and Phillip took an office at 28 West 44th Street, where he worked in association with Wayne Soverns and Robert Posey, although the practice title was in Phillip's name alone. He moved to California sometime before 1952.

Phillip reluctantly resigned his membership of the AIA in July 1953, due to the effects of age and a deterioration in health. Nevertheless he lived another twenty years, dying at his home in Laguna Hills, California on 10 October 1973. He was survived by his wife Nora and a daughter, Mrs Valerie Wilson.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 5MalaysiaBusiness19101912 
Item 2 of 52, West 47th Street, New York, New York, United States of AmericaBusinessBefore 192531 March 1940 
Item 3 of 528, West 44th Street, New York, New York, United States of AmericaBusiness1 April 1940Before 1951 
Item 4 of 53361, Coldwater Canyon, North Hollywood, California, United States of AmericaPrivate/business(?)1951 *  
Item 5 of 5Laguna Hills, California, United States of AmericaPrivate1973 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7(Sir) Robert Stodart LorimerAfter 1905c. 1910Assistant 
Item 2 of 7(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimerc. 1905Before 1910Apprentice 
Item 3 of 7Cross & CrossAfter 1910Before 1912Assistant 
Item 4 of 7Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue1912Before 1924Assistant 
Item 5 of 7Bertram Grosvenor GoodhueAfter 19121924Senior Assistant 
Item 6 of 7Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Associates19241931Partner 
Item 7 of 7Mayers, Murray & PhillipLate 1920s or 193131 March 1940Partner 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Oliver, Richard1983Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue New York, Cambridge & London: Architectural History Foundation/MIT Pressp235

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2New York Times13 October 1973  Obituary of F Hardie Phillip
Item 2 of 2RIAS QuarterlyMay 195392Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)p50 - obituary of Taylor Thomson

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3 The Times Digital Archive  
Item 2 of 3AIA Archive, Washington, DCAmerican Institute of Architects membership papers  
Item 3 of 3Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Information from internet