George Warren Elliott

The Elliott family of Philadelphia welcomed George as the sixth of seven children, the last of four boys born to William and Rebecca. William supported his family as a box maker while also pastoring a church for 20 years.

George and all but one of his siblings were still single and living at home when the census was taken in 1910. It was a nice home at 5031 Cedar Avenue in the Cedar Park section of West Philly. But by then, George was already working on the second of his many vocations.

After being named president of the Class of 1905 at Central High School and attending the University of Pennsylvania, he got his first job as a newspaper reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He was promoted to real estate editor at the newspaper but left that to be a fire and life insurance agent. That’s how he listed his profession in 1910.

He was more than just a quick learner. George was good at making friends and connections because, two years later and without appropriate experience, he was appointed as the city’s chief fire marshal. That automatically made him a member of the Bureau of Police which, like the Bureau of Fire, was part of the Department of Public Safety.

During his tenure there, George broadened the city’s fire prevention program and was president of the National Association of Fire Prevention. He was also an active member of Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church at 48th and Baltimore Avenue. So was a girl named Laura Thiess. He met her there while in charge of a Sunday School social and in 1916 the pastor officiated at their wedding.

One year later George’s mother died, so the couple moved in with his father to care for him. That same year their first son was born, named after his father. Their second boy, Douglas, arrived in 1921 and George’s father died in 1923. His obituary here pays tribute to his exemplary life.

Both parents were buried in the family plot at Mount Moriah. After that, George moved his family to 64th and Sheridan Road in the toney Overbrook Park neighborhood of the city.

In 1924 a new director of the Department of Public Safety was named, an ex-Marine general named Smedley Butler. He was honest, brash, strict, and impulsive. He met George and instantly took a liking to him and made him assistant director. But it was a rough ride because the General went against the establishment. No longer would the police give the appearance of virtuous nonpartisanship while the ward leaders continued to run the show. 

General Butler enforced the laws of Prohibition so seriously that he personally conducted raids on speakeasies. Then he took it a step further, invading Republican watering holes, even the Union League. That enraged the political bosses who saw to it that he was sacked, promoting George to the top spot. He was less flamboyant, staged fewer “commando” raids, and had more effective results. He also worked with the federals to run down liquor distributors, not just the retailers. 

During his two years starting in 1926 George also managed the crowds that came to the World’s Fair that year in Philly. The “Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition” celebrated the nation’s 150th birthday. This 80-foot replica of the Liberty Bell, covered in 26,000 light bulbs, spanned Broad Street at what is now Marconi Plaza, just before the entrance to the fair.

One of his most exciting experiences was on October 22, 1927. George was in charge of logistics for the visit of trans-Atlantic pioneer Charles Lindbergh. He welcomed him at the airport, shown here, and had his two boys with him to get a memorable handshake.  “Lucky Lindy” flew in on the Spirit of St. Louis to officially dedicate the Municipal Airport on what was then Hog Island. It was the last stop on his famous cross-country tour. 

George started work in the new year with what would be his last employer, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He moved quickly from assistant secretary up the ladder to president. Being placed less often in the public spotlight, he could focus more on faith and family. A baby girl, Marie, was born in 1929 and grew up attending Sunday School, like the rest of the family, as regular members of Calvary M.E. Church.

For many years George served as superintendent of the Sunday School program there. He also served on the boards of the Boys Club of Philadelphia and the Eaglesville Sanitarium. The family enjoyed a chance to vacation every year at their summer cottage in Ocean City, New Jersey.

The Elliott boys made their dad proud in many ways but he was saddened to see how both of their lives ended so tragically. George Jr. graduated with honors from college, married in 1940, and gave his parents a granddaughter. He joined the Army but, less than a year later, he died of an illness at age 22. Read more about his Notable life story here.

Douglas joined the Navy and served through the end of World War II, became vice president of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and was elected to the State Senate. His life ended with no warning; after serving six weeks as a newly elected U.S. Congressman, he took his own life by suffocating from car exhaust fumes, leaving a wife and three children. He was buried in Chambersburg at age 39.

After Marie went off to Russell Sage College, the 1950 census showed that George and Laura had downsized, moved in with his two aunts, and transitioned into retirement. They later moved to the Homestead Retirement Home in Ocean City.

At George’s death in 1971 he counted seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Best of all, though, were the 55 years of marriage with Laura. She lived another five years and both had their inscriptions added on the side of the family gravestone. In addition to his parents, three of his six siblings are buried in Section 141, Lot 42.