Maria Zelia Philippides with Agora Excavation Director John Camp at the Agora’s 75th anniversary celebration.
Mary Zelia Pease Philippides passed away in Athens Friday morning, January 23, 2009. Her daughter, Dia Philippides of Boston, was at her side. Mrs. Philippides had celebrated her 103rd birthday earlier this week on January 19. Philippides served as Librarian of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens from 1958 until her retirement in 1971.
Mary Zelia Pease Philippides was born January 19, 1906. She was married to John Philippides, who predeceased her.
She studied at Bryn Mawr College receiving her AB in 1927 and her Ph.D. in 1933 with a dissertation entitled, “A Catalogue of the Greek Vases in the Collection of Albert Gallatin in New York City.” A long-time member of the School, Philippides was a Student of the School and Fellow from Bryn Mawr College 1927-1928, Fellow of the Archaeological Institute of America 1928-1929, Special Fellow in Archaeology 1932-1933, and a member of the excavation staff at the Ancient Athenian Agora in 1933. She was a Member of the School 1932-1934, 1935-1937, 1957-1958, 1959-1961, 1966-1967, 1977-1980. She was appointed Librarian of the School in 1958. She also served in UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) in Greece after World War II.
During a leave of absence from 1966 to 1967, she was able to work on her assignment to publish black-figured pottery from the Athenian Agora. Her work culminated in 1986 with Volume XXIII of the Athenian Agora Series by Mary B. Moore and Mary Zelia Pease Philippides, “Attic Black-Figured Pottery.”
According to Lucy Shoe Meritt in her book “History of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens,” writing about her retirement in 1971, “Mrs. Philippides had served since 1958, the first professionally trained librarian the School had enjoyed. Trained first as an archaeologist and a life-long scholar of Greek vases, she brought to the position a scholar’s understanding of the scholar’s needs, the professional librarian’s experience in technical and practical matters, a sensitive human being’s generosity of spirit in her dealings with both the ever increasing number of members of the School and the very considerable number of foreign scholars and American diplomats and visiting scholars who turned to her for help and guidance and never went away empty-handed, rarely disappointed in their quests. She undertook the staggering task of making a new catalogue for the whole collection at the same time that she kept the collection up to date with more and more books appearing at higher and higher costs from a budget always receding in relation to the demands upon it to keep the Library the first-rate center of the School’s work.”
By acclamation the Managing Committee at the December 21, 1971 meeting sent this message by cable to Mrs. Philippides, “Managing Committee of American School by unanimous vote expresses its affectionate gratitude for your devoted service as Librarian of the School and extends its best wishes to you and yours for the future.” She was recognized as “Blegen Librarian Emerita” by School Director Stephen G. Miller in 1982. In 1999, School Director James D. Muhly awarded her permanent Honorary Senior Associate Membership.
Service was held at St. Nicholas Church in Athens on Saturday, January 24. She will be interred in the Philippides’ family tomb in Milies, on Pelion.
She will be sadly missed by her colleagues and friends in the American School.
Condolences may be sent to Dia Philippides in care of the School at 6-8 Charlton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
