Philip M. Isaacson papers

Philip Isaacson was born June 16, 1924 in Lewiston, Maine to Harris and Goldie (Resnick) Isaacson. After graduating from Hebron Academy, he entered Bates College and became part of the Navy V-12 officer training program. Isaacson served in the Pacific at the end of World War II and then returned to Bates, graduating in 1947. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1950, he joined his father in the firm of Isaacson and Isaacson and later was a founding partner in the firm of Isaacson and Raymond. Committed to public service he served on numerous boards including the Board of Finance for the City of Lewiston and the Board of Trustees for the Lewiston Public Library.

Isaacson was an art critic and columnist for the Maine Sunday Telegram for almost 50 years, reviewing Maine art and exhibits. He also advocated for the funding of the arts during his tenure as chairman of the Maine Arts Commission. He was a self-described architecture fanatic and a prolific photographer, primarily of buildings which he admired. He also authored three books on art and architecture, two of them for children: The American Eagle; Round Buildings, Square Buildings and Building That Wiggle Like a Fish; and A Walk Around the Pyramids and Through the World of Art. In 1961 he and his wife Deborah built a modern home near the Bates College campus. The American Institute of Architects named it one of America's outstanding homes. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

He traveled extensively, often to exotic places such as Nepal, Mali, Iran and Pakistan, as well as many more commonly visited destinations. He was an avid skier and hiker and celebrated his 85th birthday by climbing Mt. Washington with his family. Philip Isaacson died on June 20, 2013.