John M. Phillips Marker Dedication

The marker before installation.

Carol Anthony, founding member, and the marker before installation.

Julia Tomasic and Penny check out the marker.

John, Natalia and Helena Rudiak, founding members, with the marker.

The official John M. Phillips cake

Dedication Booklet

Left to Right - Zack Toner, Mike Monahan, Norm Brozell, Pat Way, G. Muckle (Eagle Scout), Kyle Wanielista, Brendan Way, Dwayne Hiers (Scout Master), Bob Stein ( Director Learning for Life Greater Pittsburgh Council District Representative).

Presentation of the flag by Boy Scout Troop 614

Founding member Carol Anthony

Founding member Julia Tomasic

Founding member John Rudiak

City of Pittsburgh Councilwoman and founding member Natalia A Rudiak

PA Sen. Jay Costa

PA Rep.Harry Readshaw

City of Pittsburgh Councilman Bruce Kraus

The uncovering of the marker for the first time by the Boy Scouts and the PA Game Commission.

PA Sen. Jim Ferlo made remarks. Sen. Ferlo was representing the PA Historical and Museum Commission at this presentation.

Joe Stefko of the PA Game Commission reads the marker for the first time.

Joseph Stefko, Supervisor of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, made the following remarks:

October 31, 2009

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, Senator Ferlo, Senator Costa, Representative Readshaw, members of the Carrick Overbrook Historical Society, fellow conservationists, family and friends. My name is Joe Stefko and I am the Wildlife Education Supervisor for the South West Region of the PA Game Commission headquartered in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Earlier this week my Regional Director Matthew Hough asked me if I would attend a dedication ceremony for a historical marker to be placed in Carrick, PA for a former commissioner named John M. Phillips. I have been with the commission as an officer since the early 80s, I have taught and been on staff at the Ross Leffler School of Conservation and have been the Southwest Region Wildlife Education Supervisor for the past 15 years but I was unfamiliar with Commissioner Phillips and his accomplishments. I first sat down with our publication, PA Game Commission 1895 – 1995, which is our history of the agency and then with that tool we rely on so much in this day and age the internet and now have a very comprehensive picture of the involvement, efforts and accomplishments of John M. Phillips in Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage.

His list of accomplishments as a conversationalist and protector of wildlife is endless but I would like to call attention to just a few. Early in World War 1 John established and was an officer in the “BUCKSHOT BRIGADE” which was a collection of over 4000 hunters that formed a home guard unit for Allegheny County while his South Side steel plant produced Artillery Guns and LST Landing Craft for the war effort. That same sentiment holds true in today’s world. While listening to David Letterman on late night TV he was interviewing General Norman Swartskopf after the first gulf war and he posed the question. Given the military might of all the countries of the world who in this day and age would you look at to be our most formidable adversary? To which the general replied I don’t think there would be any question it would be the Soviet Union. David then asked him who he would rate second. The general hesitated then smiled and said Pennsylvania on the opening day of deer season.

John was instrumental in the formation of a new state agency in 1895 to become known as the Pennsylvania Game Commission and became one of its six sitting commissioners in 1905 serving some 15 years with the agency. He was instrumental in the restoration of whitetail deer herds to the commonwealth sponsoring the early buck law when numbers were low and later an antlerless season when the species had recovered. He launched a fight to establish the first hunting license in 1905 and saw it become reality in 1913 with a price of $1.00. He later lobbied for a license increase and in one public meeting made the comparison. A boy scout pays 5 cents per week dues to belong to scouting which amounts to $2.60 per year. During that year they plant trees and shrubs for wildlife, build brush piles, erect bird and wildlife boxes and even make trips a field in the winter months to feed the deer and wildlife. On the other hand a hunter pays $2.00 for a license and can hunt everything. They got the license increase. During the 30’s he vigorously campaigned to save valuable marshlands in Crawford County, which would later be known as Pymatuning State Park.

By far his greatest legacy to our agency and the people of the Commonwealth has been the establishment of the State Game Lands system. From his early crusade and purchase of 6288 acres of land in Elk County formally known as State Game Lands #25 has evolved a game lands system encompassing over one and a quarter million acres, a land base larger that the entire state of Delaware. Through our wise management of these resources we are able to perpetuate acquisition of future parcels through timber and natural gas revenue all the while managing the habitat for an abundance of game and non game species. What is really significant about this accomplishment is that these Game Lands are set aside for all Pennsylvanians to enjoy, hunters and non hunters alike, and for this legacy alone all Pennsylvanians owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. On behalf of the current officers, staff, deputies, hunter-trapper education instructors, volunteers and the thousands of dedicated hunters and trappers in the state of Pennsylvania I say THANK YOU JOHN M. PHILLIPS.

Joseph V. Stefko Wildlife Education Supervisor PA Game Commission 4820 Route 711 Bolivar, PA 15923

Boy Scout Troop 614, formerly the original Silvertip Troop 1 founded by John M. Phillips

Bill Phillips, grandson of John M. Phillips, with his son.

The day after the dedication - sunny and warm - Helena Rudiak and the marker.