Evening star., 1949-12-30
Maj. J.Van Ness Philip
Dies at S3; Scion Of
Old D. T.. Families =

VIU " ~ ] QI1lIIIVS
Mai. j. Van Ness Philip,
descendant of one Of Washing
toms oldest families and former
State Department official, died at
his home in Hudson. N. Y. yes
terday afternoon. after a long ILL
ness. He was s3 years old.
He was descended from Gen.
John P. Van Ness. Representative
from New York, who in 1902 mar
ried Marcia Burns, heiress to much
of the property on which down.
town Washington now stands. The
Van Ness mansion occupied the
present site of the Pan American
Union. Gen. Van Ness became
an early mayor" of WASH
ington, when the Federal city
had a functionary of that title.
A veteran of two wars, Maj.
Philip had a long career of Gov
ernment and military service. 1t
began with the Cuban campaign
lof 1898 and ended with his re-
tirement from the State Depart
ment in 1945. He was United
State representative on the Pan
American Highway Finance Com
mittee for a number of years and
later advisory assistant to the
Division of American Republics.
Born in Georgetown.
He was also at one time as
sistant chief of the Bureau OF
Insular Affairs of the old War
Department, a post to which he
was appointed by President Theo-
dore Roosevelt on his return from
the Philippines in 1901, where ne
helped organize the first detach-
n1ent of Philippine Scouts.
Born in Georgetown, the son OF
Col. William Henry and Eliza
Worthington Philip, Maj. Philip
was educated at Claverack IN. "
Military Academy, st. Pauls Mil
itary Academy. Garden City. L. l..
and Princeton University, where
lhe was a member OF the class OF
1889. He later studied at Paris
and at George Washington Uni
versity Law School here.
Mai. Philip served in Cuba as
adjutant of the 4th United States
Volunteers under Col. James S.
Petit. and later in the Philippines
with the 31st United States VOL
unteers, being stationed at Zam-
boanga and ST. Simon. He also
was at one time the aide to Gen.
Ordway, commandant OF the Dis
trlet National Guard.
Mai. Philip served as adJutant
of the 4th Division in France dur
ing World War I.
Although most OF his life was
spent in Washington, he kept his
permanent residence at his ances-
trail home, Talavera. at Claverack.
In recent years. he developed COM
mercial fruit orchards there.
Funeral to Be Held Here.
| A neighbor and close friend OF
the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Maj. Philip helped or
eanize the early Roosevelt cam
paigns for the State Senate In the
Hudson Valley. when Mr.. Roosevelt
was first attracting political notice.
Maj. Philip was an ardent
sportsman and active in polo and
hunting circles both here and in
England. He rode his horse Hari
Kari to win what was considered
to be the first steeplechase in the
Washington area, at the Chevy
Chase Club in 1902.
He was a member of the Metro
politan and Alibi Clubs of WASH
ington and the Ivy Club Of Prince
ton University.
In addition to his widow. the
former Helen Monroe Stott. Maj.
Philip is survived by two sons.
j. Van Ness Philip. jr.. and Nicho-
las Worthington Philip; sister,
Mrs. j. P. Stark of Mayport, Fla.
and a brother. Hoffman OF Santa
Barbara, Calf, former United
States Ambassador to Chile.
| The funeral services will be held
in Washington, but final details
have not yet been completed.