b. October 20, 1923 in Portland, Oregon -- d. June 26, 2002 in San Francisco, California
grew up in the Dalles, on the Columbia River
military service: US Army Air Corps, 1943-46 - taught radio operation and maintenance
after the War, planned to study Asian languages at the University of California, but was soon broke and forced to return to Portland, where he began attending Reed College on the GI Bill
met Gary Snyder and Lew Welch in the late 1940's and moved into a rooming house with them in 1950; they established a bohemian style of their own in the subculture of the Reed literati
had long admired William Carlos Williams, and was encouraged by him when WCW visited Reed College in 1950
Reed College, BA, 1951 - thesis project a book of poems called Three Satires
was one of the poets who read in the famous Gallery Six reading of October 13, 1955, along with Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso, Michael McClure, Philip Lamantia, and emcee Kenneth Rexroth
practiced Zen in Kyoto, Japan, 1965-1967 and 1969-1971
ordained Zen priest in the Soto lineage 1973
Dharma name: Unsui Zenshin Ryufu
became head monk of Dharma Sangha, Crestone Mountain, Santa Fe New Mexico, 1984
received Dharma transmission in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki 1987
became abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center, San Francisco, 1991
note on the death of Philip Whalen, with poems
obituary of Philip Whalen in the San Francisco Chronicle
notice of memorial service for Philip Whalen in the San Francisco Chronicle
note on a reading by Philip Whalen, Gary Snyder, and Lew Welch