Margery Phillips papers, 1939-1966

Margery Phillips was a prominent writer and editor of interior design, architecture, and fashion columns in the Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and several national and regional magazines throughout the 1960s. Phillips was born on July 31, 1916 in Seattle and, in early childhood, survived a near-fatal case of typhoid fever. She attended the University of Washington and was active in the Alpha Phi sorority, later being dubbed the "Mother of Alpha Phi Expansion." In 1938, Phillips married her architect husband, John Otis Phillips. During World War II, she drove a Motor Corps transporting blood to hospitals.

During her 35 year career she was Home Fashion Editor for the Seattle Times and Northwest Editor for many national magazines. Writing several weekly articles, she was highly influential in popularizing quality Pacific Northwest residential design. During her 25 year career with the Seattle Times, she was consistently recognized as the most popular feature writer among women readers.

In addition to her journalistic achievements, Phillips was involved in many local organizations. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, she was Director and Organizer of The Fashion Group, Seattle Chapter. She served as Press Associate for the American Institute of Interior Designers and for the National Society of Interior Designers from 1956 to 1976. She also served on many Boards including the Children's Orthopedic Junior Board, the University of Washington Alumnae Board, and the Northwest Ornamental Horticultural Board. She served as Chair of the Special Events Committee of the Washington Athletic Club Advisory Board and was elected as its Chairman in 1971. She achieved all this and more as a mother to three children.

Margery Phillips died on May 4, 2014.