A Truly Unique Braidwood Guy

“Braidwood was the foundation for my life.” Phil Weidner

There have been a few famous Braidwood people that I have written about in blog posts,  “Braidwood Beginnings: Growing up in a Coal Town.” (https://braidwoodguy.com) Anton Cermac, former mayor of Chicago killed by an assassin’s bullet while standing next to Franklin Roosevelt, was born in Braidwood. Labor leader John Mitchell, who collaborated with President Theodore Roosevelt, worked in our town’s coal mines when he was a child.

However, one of the most unique and accomplished former Braidwood resident, not nationally known (yet), is a fellow who now lives in Alaska. 

Born in Iola, Illinois, Phil Weidner graduated from Reed-Custer High School in 1964 and then proceeded to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with scholarship assistance from the Braidwood Rotary and the encouragement from Principal Jack Bottino. His undergraduate degrees were in Industrial Management and Electrical Engineering. (1968) Phil continued his education at the Harvard Law School, attaining his Juris Doctor in 1972.

At both MIT and Harvard, Phil graduated in the top 20% of his class.

On to Alaska

Phil moved to Alaska after graduation to clerk for the States’ Supreme Court. In 1976, he started his own law firm specializing in Trial and Appellate work as a Criminal Defense Attorney. Since that time, Phil has worked on hundreds of cases including the Exxon Valdez case 1989. Currently, he is the head of the “Weidner Rosano” law firm.

Phil Builds a House

Well in fact, several houses…over a single plot of land. I write this sincerely; he built SEVERAL houses over a single plot of land and converted them into the tallest house in Alaska. It took him 20 years to build it while he was also busy being a lawyer. 

Why did he build the structure and why did he stop at a certain point? I think that he would say that he enjoyed building. As an architectural hobbyist, Phil enjoyed the work with no intention to stop at any point. 

Why did he stop at 185 feet? Well, the FAA restricts building anything higher than 200 feet because of the prevalence of light aircraft in the State. On the top is an observation deck providing a view of over 300 miles.

What Makes Phil Special?

Coming from small farming/mining towns, Phil was an exceptionally talented student who acquired degrees from two premier universities, MIT and Harvard, where he excelled. This, in itself, is a major accomplishment as well as a testimony for the fine education he received at Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood. 

It is also no small adjustment to leave the Midwest for the elitism and cultural shift on the East Coast. It might have been overwhelming for Phil to be introduced to fellow students as a novelty from the frontier. Instead, he made necessary adjustments, surpassed 80% of his class, and went on to be an outstanding lawyer in the actual frontier of the country.

What Makes Phil Unique?

Phil is the embodiment of an intellectual, lawyer, architect, and carpenter/builder. This qualifies him as a true “Renaissance Man,” a guy with wide interests and expertise in several areas. Any one of those labels would suffice for most of us. 

Obviously, Phil was blessed with talents that helped him achieve goals that surpass the general population. But in order for that talent to be realized, it needed to be cultivated, nourished, and fostered. As in most cases, his parents and his siblings provided a foundation in order for those talents to be applied. Kudos to his parents, Phil “Trader” Weidner and Pauline Weidner; and sisters, Barbara and Phyllis.

But our town of Braidwood also had a lot to do with it.