Philip Christman (Scanlin) was born in Carthage, New York on August 29, 1930. Enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in June, 1949 - discharged as a weather observer in December, 1952, spent 17 years in El Paso, Texas, earning a B.A. Degree in History/Spanish from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1966 - taught Spanish for four years and worked for the New York State Department of Labor for 18 years, retiring in 1966.