Samuel F. Phillips

1824–1903 (age 79)

Lawyer/Solicitor General

Biography

Samuel F. Phillips (1824–1903) stood as a distinguished lawyer and the United States Solicitor General under President Benjamin Harrison, arguing pivotal cases that shaped the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment and upheld the authority of federal law.

He devoted his later years to mentoring young attorneys and supporting civic causes in Chapel Hill, where he now lies buried, leaving a model of service rooted in integrity and a deep respect for the rule of law.