Philip Boshoff
Associate Professor Emeritus of English Philip Boshoff P’09, who left an enduring mark on the teaching of academic writing at Skidmore and for whom the College’s Writing Center is named, died April 14, 2026, one day before his 77th birthday.
Phil joined the English Department in 1980 as an assistant professor and served the College until his retirement in 2018. He died following a 20-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease and related health issues.
Over nearly four decades, he became synonymous with academic writing at Skidmore, serving as director of expository writing, director of the Writing Center, Associate Chair of the English Department, and Director of the Honors Forum. Under his leadership, the Writing Center evolved into the collaborative and student-centered environment that continues to support Skidmore students today.
Associate Professor Emeritus of English Michael Marx described Phil as a “colleague, mentor, and friend” who “embodied the vision of interdisciplinarity and collaboration that has defined Skidmore.”
“Phil was synonymous with expository writing at Skidmore,” Michael wrote. “One of my most satisfying moments at Skidmore was coordinating the naming of the Writing Center in Phil’s honor upon his retirement. Now, just like past generations of students, today’s Skidmore students can still go to ‘Boshoff’ when they need help with writing.”
Born April 15, 1949, in Oneonta, Phil earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta and later completed his master’s degree and doctorate at Purdue University, where he wrote his dissertation on Virginia Woolf. He briefly taught at the Ohio State University before joining Skidmore.
Throughout his time at Skidmore, Phil taught courses in expository writing, fiction, 20th-century literature, and literary studies. For many years, he co-taught a Scribner Seminar — Sport, Self, and Society — with Professor Emeritus of Health and Human Physiological Sciences Jeffrey Segrave, who called Phil “the single most important influence in (his) development as a teacher and scholar.”
“Team teaching with Phil was a delight, and I learned a great deal from him. He also changed the entire direction of my scholarship by introducing me to sports literature, a critical component now of my scholarly work.”
Phil also served on numerous College committees, including the Committee on Educational Policies and Planning, the Curriculum Committee, the Self-Determined Majors Committee, the Committee on Academic Standing, and the Athletic Council. In the 1980s, he was even the first coach of Skidmore’s varsity baseball team. In 2006, he received a President’s Award in recognition of his contributions to Skidmore.
Reflecting on Phil’s retirement in 2018, Professor of English Susannah Mintz praised his “loyalty to students and colleagues, his conviction about the imaginative and intellectual rewards of writing, his gift for stimulating enthusiasm, (and) his extraordinary generosity.”
“In a career of nearly 40 years, from the days of mimeograph to the digital age, Phil
has never flagged in his commitment to the teaching of writing, and we would not have
been the same — we will not be the same — without his vibrant presence,” she wrote.
Survivors include his wife, Rose Boshoff P’09; his daughter, Laurel Mae Boshoff ’09;
and his son-in-law, Jeremy Mercier ’09.