PHILIP NOCHLIN
1924 - 1960
Philip Nochlin was thirty-five years old when he died; it
is hard to keep from thinking of the seed work that never
will be done. All of his teachers, all “ his students,
all of his colleagues, all of his friends — at Hamilton
where he began his undergraduate work, at Oberlin there he
completed it as a member of Phi Beta Kappa; at Oxford where
he took the B. Phil. on a two-year Fulbright sword; at
Columbia where he earned his M.A. and his Ph.D.; at Duke,
Hunter College and Lone Island University where he taught
before coming to Vssssr nine years ago — all who knew him
knew that philosophy should gain by his life. We shall never
know all that has been lost by his death. His book on aes-
thetics, started while Philip was on American Council of
Learned Societies Fellow in l953-59, remains unfinished. A
publisher's request that Philip write a logic book will not
be not. The draft of an article on the philosophy of langu-
age lies on his desk; there, also, awaiting Philip's seru-
pulous revision for publication is a paper on ethics he read
to the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association.
Philip Nochlin was seldom free of pain, but he never stopped
thinking, and he never stopped working. His wide-ranging
and sensitive mind was never far from the technical problems
of philosophy; the seriousness and purity of his concern with
philosophy was felt by his students, and helped make him the
effective and respected teacher that he was, as did his utter
generosity of time in behalf of students. He was unable to
say no to any opportunity to teach, and in addition to numerous
lectures to classes in other departments, he constantly under-
took regular teaching loads well beyond the call of duty. Nor
was he respected only: he was loved. He was loved for his
gentleness, his unfailingly generous good-will, his deep humanity,
and not least for that rich humor which hid his pain, and
brought to the most serious subjects the unmalicious laughter
which saves us from solemnity, which shows all things in their
clearest light, which preserves us from pedantry and dispro-portion.
Philip Hochlin's life was very short; now we have only his
unfinished work, and his memory. Now we must carefully re-
member the short life of this accomplished teacher, this
dedicated philosopher, this tall, stooped, laughing, gentle
human being. If we hold to the memory of his richness we
PHILIP NOCHLIN (Continued)
may hope that the thought of Philip Nochlin will work
in our lives like a seed, will grow into some worthy consequence,
and will in some part redeem his loss.
C. Douglas McGee
Ria Stavrides
Vernon Venable
XV-254