Inaugural Impressions
Myrtle Ellenberger Phillips (1891–1961)
Myrtle Faye Ellenberger was born on November 22, 1891, on a farm in Iowa to Daniel and Annie Ellenberger. Her father, a preacher, was from Ohio, and her mother was from Illinois. Myrtle spent her earliest years in Iowa until 1901, when her family moved to Norman, Oklahoma.
Myrtle was intelligent from an early age. She passed the Cleveland County teacher’s examination at twelve years old, even though sixteen was the minimum age to obtain a teaching certificate. She attended the University of Oklahoma and was an engaged student, involved in drama, music, and groups such as the Young Women’s Christian Association. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1912 and taught briefly in Snyder, Oklahoma.
She likely met Leon Chase “Red” Phillips while they were both students at the University of Oklahoma. The couple engaged in June 1913 and married three years later. They moved to Okemah, Oklahoma, where Leon established a law practice. The couple adopted two children: a son, Robert, and a daughter, Lois. After a brief stint in the US Army during World War I, Leon returned to Okemah and became active in politics. He was elected to the state legislature three times, serving as House speaker in 1935. He was elected governor in 1938.
Myrtle was dedicated to raising her children and supporting her community while Leon advanced his political career. She remained in Okemah while her husband served in the legislature, visiting him in Oklahoma City on weekends. She served as president of the Okemah Parent Teacher’s Association and was an active member of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School.
Myrtle and Leon returned to Okemah after her husband’s term ended in 1943. The couple divorced in 1951, after which Myrtle moved to Oklahoma City. She attended St. Luke’s Methodist Church, where she continued to teach Sunday School. She died on June 23, 1961, after a prolonged illness and is buried in Highland Cemetery in Okemah.
Myrtle Ellenberger Phillips, 1938
(2012.201.B1019.0280, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS)
