Philip Spencer was a student at Geneva College (now Hobart and William Smith) from 1838-41. The catalog records him as a freshman for all three years, having failed to earn promotion to a higher class. His father, U.S. Secretary of War John C. Spencer, requested a demission from college for his son in April 1841, “in consequence of his continued neglect of college exercises.”
Spencer later served in the U.S. Navy during the Mexican War. In 1842 he was accused of mutiny on his ship, the USS Somers. It was reported that he made an off-hand remark about seizing command of the vessel; in addition he kept a diary in Greek that was believed to have consisted of a plan of mutiny and secrets concerning the ship. The 18-year-old midshipman was hanged without trial. He was the last person hanged onboard a United States naval vessel. Both the brig Somers and Spencer influenced Herman Mellville's novel Billy Budd.
Contribution: Inspiration for the title character in Herman Mellville's novel Billy Budd
Hometown: Washington, D.C.