Born to a Dutch family of Jewish heritage, Anton was the second son to Maria Heyligers and Benjamin Frederik David Philips. His father was active in the tobacco business and a banker at Zaltbommel in the Netherlands. Anton had an elder brother named Gerard Philips.
Career
In May 1891 the father Frederik was the financier and, with his son Gerard Philips, co-founder of the Philips Company as a family business. In 1912 Anton joined the firm, which they renamed Philips Gloeilampenfabriek N.V. During World War I, Anton Philips managed to increase sales by taking advantage of a boycott of German goods in several countries. He provided the markets with alternative products. Anton are remembered as being civic-minded. In Eindhoven they supported education and social programs and facilities, such as the football department of the Philips Sports Association, which is the best known. Anton Philips brought his son Frits Philips and son-in-law Frans Otten into the company in their times. Anton, Otten and other family members escaped the Netherlands just before the Nazi Occupation during World War II. They went to the United States and returned after the war. Frits Philips chose to stay and manage the company during the occupation. He was imprisoned for several months at the concentration camp of Vught after his workers went on strike, and he survived. He saved the lives of 382 Jews by claiming them as indispensable to his factory, and enabled them to evade Nazi roundups and deportation to concentration camps. He was honoured with the title Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel in 1996. Anton Philips died in Eindhoven in 1951. He was awarded Order of Saint Sava and other decorations.
Marriage and family
Philips married Anne Henriëtte Elisabeth Maria de Jongh. They had the following children:
Anna Elisabeth Cornelia Philips, married in 1925 to Pieter Franciscus Sylvester Otten, and had Diek and Franz Otten ; Franz became a manager in his grandfather's company Philips.
Henriëtte Anna Philips, married firstly to A. Knappert, without issue. Married secondly to Jonkheer G. Sandberg, without issue. Married thirdly in New York City, New York, on 29 September 1938 to Jonkheer Hendrik Abraham Cornelis van Riemsdijk. They had the following children:
* Jonkvrouw... van Riemsdijk, married at Waalre on 17 February 1968 to Johannes Jasper Tuijt, son of Jacobus Tuijt and wife Hedwig Jager, without issue
* Jonkvrouw... van Riemsdijk, married firstly at Calvados, Falaise, on 6 June 1974 to Martinus Jan Petrus Vermooten, without issue. Married secondly in Paris on 12 December 1981 to Jean Yves Louis Bedos, without issue. Married thirdly at Manche, Sartilly, on 21 September 1985 to Arnaud Evain.
* Jonkvrouw... van Riemsdijk, married at Waalre, 28 October 1972 to Elie Johan François van Dissel, without issue.
