Shipley, Walter Penn, 1860-

Walter Penn Shipley was born on June 20, 1860. He practiced law in Philadelphia during his entire professional life and resided in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Shipley had a lifelong interest in chess, competing at the amateur level and writing for many chess-related publications.

Walter Penn Shipley was a local Philadelphia chess talent who assisted in the writing and compiling of Gustavus C. Reichhelm's book, Chess in Philadelphia...

Walter Penn Shipley was born on June 20, 1860. He practiced law in Philadelphia during his entire professional life and resided in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Shipley had a lifelong interest in chess, competing at the amateur level and writing for many chess-related publications.

Walter Penn Shipley attended Haverford College prior to graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1883. He studied law with P. Pemberton Morris before being admitted to the bar in 1883. After working with his father for five years, he joined with Effingham B. Morris and George Vaux, Jr. to form the firm Morris, Shipley, and Vaux in 1888. Following the death of both his law partners, Walter Shipley continued his general law practice independently until his own retirement in 1927.

Shipley had a lifelong interest in chess. He wrote the chess column in The Philadelphia Inquirer for 34 years, co- authored The History of Chess in Philadelphia, and won numerous city and state tournaments as an amateur player. In addition to his chess interests, Walter Penn Shipley was a director for the John C. Winston Company, a member of the Friends Meeting house at Green and Coulter streets, treasurer for the Germantown Preparative Meeting of Friends, and patron of the Home of Aged and Infirm Colored Persons.

Walter Shipley married Anne Emlen on October 17, 1879. They had three sons: Thomas Emlen Shipley (b. 1890); James Emlen Shipley (b. 1894); and Walter Penn Shipley, Jr. (b. 1897). On February 17, 1942, at the age of 81, Walter Penn Shipley died at his home in Germantown where he had lived most of his life.

“Walter P. Shipley, Expert on Chess” (obituary), New York Times, February 18, 1942, p. 19, section 3. Additional biographical information derived from the collection.