James “Pate” Philip, a once powerful Illinois Republican known for his ability to deliver votes as well as blunt remarks, died Tuesday at his home in Wood Dale. He was 93.
Mr. Philip was the longest-tenured Republican to serve as Illinois Senate president, in a career that began in 1966 in the Illinois House of Representatives. He also served more than 30 years as chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party — creating a suburban GOP machine that Republican presidents would count on to win.
Born May 26, 1930, in suburban Elmhurst, Mr. Philip worked as a salesman for Pepperidge Farm for nearly four decades. He was married to Nancy Philip and had four children. He died with his wife of 46 years by his side.
National Republicans courted Philip, well aware of his ability to deliver the vote.
“Former Presidents Reagan and Ford, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, and New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean have paid homage to Philip on his home turf,” Sun-Times political columnist Steve Neal wrote in 1990. Neal wrote that Mr. Philip created “the most effective political unit in the state,” as Republican boss of DuPage County.
But Neal also noted that “few persons are neutral about Philip.”
“The late Mayor Harold Washington, with whom Philip clashed politically, once said that Philip was an example of ‘the Peter principle gone wild.’ Former Mayor Jane Byrne denounced him as ‘a Chicago hater’ and former Sun-Times columnist Mike Royko referred to him as a “polyester jerk,’ though Philip now favors wool suits,” Neal wrote.
Mr. Philip didn’t mince words when fighting for his legislative gains, and he was known for sometimes controversial comments. One of his most notable accomplishments, instituting reforms that minimized the power of corrupt school boards, was marked by his claim that disseminating more money to Chicago’s public schools would be “pouring money down a rat-hole.”
Mr. Philip’s harsh tongue got him into trouble more than once. In the 1990s, he made remarks that resulted in state and city officials — and unions — to call for his resignation.
“I want people to understand when they look at his style, he came from a different era,” said former state Sen. Kirk Dillard, the chair of the Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors and former chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party. “He had impeccable integrity. He was very patriotic as an ex-U.S. Marine. And most importantly, his word was his bond, whether you were a political ally or an opponent.”
Jim Durkin, former Illinois House Republican leader, was first sworn into office by Mr. Philip in 1995 in his Woodridge office. Durkin described him as larger-than-life, a “caricature of himself,” and someone who never dropped names.
“I have to say this. He was a very intimidating man. You know, this big German truck driver. He was the blue-collar conservative Republican,” Durkin said. “He was such a strong supporter of Republican principles and was able to figure out ways to get things done. And he ran his chamber when he was president like a master.”
Patty Schuh, a veteran spokeswoman who worked for Mr. Philip from 1995 to 2003, said the former Senate president was most proud of delivering responsible state budgets “on time, maybe even a little early,” in addition to his work on suburban tax caps and education funding.
Schuh said he treated everyone in the Capitol equally, from the janitors to fellow senators. He was humble, she said, often describing meetings with legislative leaders and Gov. Jim Thompson as a gathering of “four lawyers and a bread salesman.”
“He was very proud of his work with Pepperidge Farm. It made him humble. He was well-grounded. He stayed connected with people that hunted and fished, and he just lived his philosophy,” Schuh said.
That life philosophy included a well-rounded life surrounded by family after he stepped out of the political spotlight, she said.
Mr. Philip is survived by his wife, stepsons Randy and Kevin, daughter Cindi and son Jase, as well as nine grandchildren and two step-grandsons.
“Pate truly had what we all strive for: a successful family life, a successful professional life, a successful public service career, including his time in the military,” Schuh said. “He truly had it all, and he worked hard to get it.”
The son of German parents, Mr. Philip served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953. He put his patriotism on display during his years in the Illinois Senate, bringing in the Marine Corps flag for every inaugural ceremony he led.
He described his gratitude for his mother leaving Germany as a child, just before World War II, in an oral history for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
“We are so lucky to be Americans, the greatest country in the history of the world. Is it perfect? No. But, if you can’t make it in America, you can’t make it,” Mr. Philip said. “I don’t care what your color is, what your religion, you are so lucky to be an American.”
