Thomas Gillingham, Class of 1930
The students in Thomas Gillingham’s graduating class of 1930 experienced World War I as young children, and their teenage years were shaped by events of the 1920s. The newsmakers of those days were Al Capone and Charles Lindbergh. Herbert Hoover was in the White House, and baseball’s greatest slugger was Babe Ruth. And in the fall of their senior year the New York Stock Exchange crashed, setting off the downward spiral that led to the Great Depression.
Because he had studied diligently in high school and had set his sights high, Tom Gillingham was able to continue his education at Harvard University, where he majored in geology and graduated with honors. He then went cross-country for graduate study at the University of Arizona, earning a master's degree and learning about mining in the deserts and mountains of the Southwest. Watching his academic and professional accomplishments, people in his community were not surprised that Oxford’s first Eagle Scout was doing so well in the world.
Like millions of other men of his generation, Dr. Gillingham served in World War II. Becoming a lieutenant in the Navy, he was a communications officer with the Seventh Fleet as it advanced across the coast of New Guinea, through the Philippines, and into the East Indies in 1945. Following the war’s end he was able to resume his advanced studies at the University of Minnesota, where he received a Ph.D. in mining engineering.
Continuing his path around America, Dr. Gillingham next took a job at the Bunker Hill Mine in Milo Gulch near Kellogg, a town in northern Idaho in the famous Coeur d’Alene mining district. In the 1950’s, Dr. Gillingham returned to the East where he became chief of the physical exploration branch of the Atomic Energy Commission. He later worked as an executive with Kennecott Mining in Mountain Lakes, N.J., and as mining consultant for W.R. Grace, Standard Oil and other major companies.
After returning to Oxford, Dr. Gillingham was actively involved in service to the community. He was a tireless supporter of the Public Library, and he worked with the Chester County Parks and Recreation Board to develop Nottingham Park.
Dr. Gillingham was best known in the community for his 29-year tenure on the Oxford school board. As a board member Dr. Gillingham kept a close eye on the district’s finances, and he also was vocal in his support of the academic program.
Thomas Gillingham passed away in April 2004.
—John Bradley
