Philip Edward Higinbotham was born on October 16, 1916, in Franklinville, Cattaraugus County, New York. He was the son of Robert George Higinbotham and Dorothea Schauffler Higinbotham. He resided with his family in Caledonia where the Rev. Higinbotham was pastor of the Caledonia Presbyterian Church. While his father was in charge of the Western Presbyterian Church at Palmyra, Philip attended the Classical High School in Palmyra, being graduated in 1934. He matriculated at Hamilton College in 1938 and later did graduate work in geology at Tulsa University in Oklahoma. For a time he was employed by the Seismograph Service Corporation.

In the summer of 1943, he entered the service in Ithaca. He served in the 25th Armored Engineer Battalion, 6th Armored Division, as a Second Lieutenant during World War II. He was Killed in Action near Poullaouen during the dash to Brest on August 5, 1944. He was buried in Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-James, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov