Philip Boardman
Early Life
Philip Waldron Boardman was born on January 7, 1884, in New York, the son of Albert Barnes Boardman and Georgiana Gertrude Bonner. He was raised in a well-established family and received an elite education, graduating from Yale University and later Yale Law School. His early life reflects a background of privilege, education, and professional opportunity typical of upper-class families in the New York metropolitan area during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
He established his career as a lawyer in New York City, becoming a member of the firm of Convoy, Hewitt, O’Brien and Boardman. By the 1920s, he had settled in Rye, New York, residing on Manursing Island, where he became a prominent member of the community.
World War I Service
Philip W. Boardman entered naval service on June 26, 1918, when he enrolled in the United States Naval Reserve Force in New York City. He was appointed to the rank of Chief Quartermaster, a senior enlisted position reflecting both responsibility and administrative expertise.
He served in the Office of the District Communication Superintendent in New York, a role that placed him within the Navy’s communications and coordination network during the war. This office was responsible for overseeing communication systems, message routing, and operational coordination within the 3rd Naval District, a critical command structure supporting naval operations along the Atlantic coast.
Boardman’s service was primarily administrative and stateside, but it formed part of the essential infrastructure that enabled the coordination of naval forces and supported the broader efforts of the American Expeditionary Forces. He served from July 2, 1918, to August 10, 1918, after which he was appointed to an officer role and placed on inactive duty at Headquarters, 3rd Naval District.
His service reflects the contribution of professional and highly educated individuals to the administrative and communications backbone of the Navy during World War I.
Life After Service
Following his military service, Boardman resumed his legal career and became a prominent attorney, serving as legal counsel for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He remained active in both corporate and civic affairs, including positions on the boards of several companies and organizations.
He married Dorothy Raymond in 1909, and together they had four children: Albert B. Boardman II, Philip W. Boardman Jr., and two daughters who later married and resided in the United States and abroad. The family maintained a long-standing residence on Manursing Island in Rye.
Boardman was active in numerous social, professional, and recreational organizations, including the Yale Club, the Racquet and Tennis Club, the American Yacht Club, and the Apawamis Club. He was also a communicant of Christ’s Church in Rye.
Philip Waldron Boardman died on April 29, 1948, at his home in Rye, New York, at the age of sixty-four.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Dorothy Raymond Boardman; his sons, Albert B. Boardman II and Philip W. Boardman Jr.; his daughters, Mrs. F. F. Gibson of Harrison and Mrs. Eric Winberg of Rapallo, Italy; his sister, Mrs. James McLean of Convent, New Jersey; and thirteen grandchildren.
He was buried in Rye at Greenwood Union Cemetery, concluding a life marked by professional distinction, civic engagement, and wartime service.