Elwood L

Elwood L. Philbrook

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Biography

Mr. Philbrook was born on a farm near Manteno, Illinois on March 7, 1858. He attended the district schools there, and then moved with his parents to Piper City, Ill. He began his musical career by playing the organ in the Presbyterian church at the age of ten. He was known to be the best soprano in that community when he was 12 year-old.

Mr. Philbrook attended the Chicago University and the "Grand Prairie Conservatory of Music" at Onargo, Ill, where he was united in marriage to Miss Emma J. Koon on Oct. 18, 1881.

Mr. Philbrook came to Rock Island, Ill. in 1898. Before that he had taught in Galesburg, Princeton, New Sharon, Iowa, and Kansas City, Mo. He was a music teacher and a supervisor of music in the Rock Island schools. During his 27 years teaching, he had a record of being absent only 17 days from active school work,

In addition to teaching music courses, he also instructed the Boy's Glee Club outside of his regular work.

He died at the Lutheran hospital in Moline on May 12, 1925. Diabetes, followed by peritonitis, was the direct cause of his death.

As one of the founders of the National Supervisors' association, he regularly attended the convention, and many of his suggestions were carried into practice by the association.

He was a member of Christian Science church.

Stories/Oral History

Mr. Philbrook had been enthusiastic in teaching music to both young and older generations of the city, and had gained much of the friendship from the people in this community, as the story describes in the obituary

…He always had the confidence of his young scholars, and their friendship,

and as they passed on through school and into the world they clung to

their childhood memories of Mr. Philbrook, the music instructor.

That their warm friendship for him did not wane was attested to by the multitude

of phone calls received at the hospital during his confinement, inquiring for word

of his condition. At the same time those of the younger generation, still in the

public schools, who have looked forward to his visits as regularly as did the older

ones, have kept their teachers plied with questions as to when Mr. Philbrook

would return to school, and as to how he was feeling.

(Rock Island Argus May 13, 1925)

A memorial service was held for Mr. Philbrook alone with other members who passed away during the year in the 1925 conference in Kansas city. Birge records this in his book "History of Public School Music in the United States"

A brief memorial service was held for members who had passed on during the year;

-- Henry W. Fairbanks, Anna Costello, Mrs. Charles H. Miller, Philip C. Hayden,

Elwood L. Philbrick [Philbrook] and Jessie L.Clark

(Birge, 1966, p.263)

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