West Chester University Philosophy Professor, Author Dies At 98

Image and obituary courtesy Huff and Lakjer Funeral Home

WEST CHESTER, PA — Dr. George S. Claghorn, age 98, of Elm Terrace Gardens, Lansdale, died Monday, February 5th at Abington-Lansdale Hospital.

Dr. Claghorn was Professor Emeritus of West Chester University, where he taught forty-one years, and was the founding Chairman of the Department of Philosophy. The teaching specialties of Dr. Claghorn were Greek philosophy and American. He was active in the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium and was the President of the Fullerton Club. He was the author of four books, among them “The Letters and Personal Writings of Jonathan Edwards”, which he edited for the Yale University Press.

Prior to West Chester, he was Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Philosophy at Eastern University, St. Davids. He served Eastern in these capacities for sixteen years, and afterwards was a member of the Board of Directors for twelve years. He also taught at Penn State, Temple, and Penn.

Dr. Claghorn was a minister, a calling which he followed early on. During college, he was a summer pastor at the Union Chapel of Villas, New Jersey. Later, he held pastorates in Trenton, NJ and Ridley Park. Across the years, he served as interim pastor of 36 churches in the tri-state area.

Born in Philadelphia, he grew up in Cape May, NJ. His bachelor’s degree was from Chattanooga, his theology degree from Palmer Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He also received the honorary degrees of D.D. and L.H.D. In 2004, he retired to Elm Terrace Gardens in Lansdale.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley Ann (Haines) Claghorn, formerly of Port Indian; daughter, Elizabeth Austin of Ponte Vedra, FL; son, Stuart Claghorn, and daughter in law, Patricia (Flynn) Claghorn of Quakertown; and six grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held 10:00 AM, Saturday, February 10th at First Baptist Church, 700 N. Broad St, Lansdale.

Memorial donations may be made to Eastern University, 1300 Eagle Rd., St. Davids, PA 19087.