This month, twenty years ago, while working at The Elkhart Truth, I was encouraged to join a book club. That’s where I first met Bill Phillips. We were discussing Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, which had just been published. As a young manager, I was intrigued by the book—but even more impressed by Bill, who in 1963 became the first Black city councilman in Elkhart. Over the past two decades, I’ve appreciated how Bill’s influence and leadership sprang from a life anchored on solid ground.
Jack Terry: A Determined Father
Bill’s roots can be traced back to Tennessee, where his grandfather, Jack Terry, farmed the land and trained horses. Jack was known to shoe and break horses for hard farm work—no easy task. He raised his daughter, Annie, in a spirit of diligence and faith. When Annie saw an organ in a catalog and asked her father for it, Jack promised he would buy it if the year’s crop was good. The harvest did turn out well—but around that same time, word spread that the railroad in Elkhart, Indiana, offered decent wages to African American workers. Annie, rather than receive the organ, urged her father to use the money to move north so the entire family might have a better life.
The Move to Elkhart
Acting on Annie’s wish, Jack and one of his sons traveled to Elkhart in 1923 to find work with the New York Central Railroad. Soon, Jack’s brothers joined them, followed by Annie herself. She and her new husband, Irvin Phillips, settled in a city whose diversity was rooted in both the booming railroad industry and the heritage of European artisans recruited years earlier to craft world-class band instruments. Although they encountered challenges, Elkhart showed promise as a melting pot for immigrants (a growing population of Italians) and African Americans alike.
Bill Phillips: Growing Into Leadership
Amid this atmosphere of opportunity and hard work, Bill Phillips was born to Irvin and Annie Phillips. Growing up, he saw his family’s drive to establish themselves in a new place. Even before child labor laws came into effect, Bill took on work at the railroad as a teenager. Later, he served in World War II, demonstrating the same spirit of commitment that Jack Terry had shown years before by moving north.
In 1963, Bill made history as the first Black councilman in Elkhart. Over the course of his life, he was a member of the NAACP, Elkhart Jaycees, Elkhart Rotary Club, and the Chamber of Commerce, and he served on numerous governing boards, including:
- Commissioner of the Elkhart Housing Authority
- The Elkhart County Community Foundation
- United Way
- Salvation Army
- Director of Elkhart General Hospital
Remembering Bill and His Family’s Legacy
Bill was deeply engaged in community leadership right up until his final days. You can hear his reflections in a recorded interview with Goshen College history professor Jan Bender Shetler and her student assistant David Harnish, conducted in partnership with the Elkhart County Historical Museum. This interview, recorded just months before Bill passed away, is available through the Internet Archive ( archive.org/details/ComingToElkhartAfricanAmericanCommunity-WilliamPhillipsCollection ). Upon his passing, Bill Phillips became the only individual to lie in state at the Lerner Theater during his funeral services—a testament to the esteem in which he was held. The Elkhart Public Library offers a poignant video tribute to his life and contributions ( www.myepl.org/elkhart-history-bill-phillips/ ).
Today, when we honor Bill Phillips and his many achievements, we also reflect on the selfless courage of Jack Terry, a southern Black farmer who chose to put his family’s future above personal comfort, and on Annie, whose generous heart for her loved ones motivated them to seek new horizons in Elkhart. They embody the countless first-generation families who laid the groundwork so their children could become tomorrow’s leaders.
And still, in this city that welcomes entrepreneurs and students and white- and blue-collar workers from around the world, we find the same hope and determination: people who arrive ready to provide for their families and carve out a better life, forging a brighter path for generations to come.
– SF