Career

Between 1929 and 1938, Philip Cummings taught modern languages to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students at various institutions in the US and Spain. During this time he was often asked to speak to school and civic groups about the people and politics of places he had visited. He was happy to accept these invitations and enjoyed every opportunity to educate and entertain an audience.

In 1938, Cummings married and moved with his wife to New Jersey, where he began a new career as a paid lecturer and news analyst. As his reputation grew, Cummings was invited to speak at adult education seminars, club meetings, conventions, and other group venues across the United States, often as a keynote speaker. His lecture schedule kept him on the road for weeks and sometimes months at a time as he completed engagements in one geographical region after another.

Cummings was first represented by the Columbia Lecture Bureau, then by the Roxanna Wells Lecture Bureau, both of New York. Promotional brochures produced by the Wells agency emphasized Cummings's ability to speak knowledgeably to American audiences on a wide range of international topics.

In the 1950s, Cummings moved to the W. Colston Leigh agency of New York, Washington, and San Francisco, self-described as "the world's largest lecture and entertainment bureau." There he joined a roster of speakers that included such famous names as David Brinkley, Vance Packard, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Cummings's evident skill and appeal as a lecturer was reflected in his billing as the agency's top repeat speaker on world affairs.

In later years, Cummings increasingly specialized in topics related to the development of oil, gas, and mineral reserves in third world countries. He gave the final lecture of his 23-year speaking career in Philadelphia on December 10, 1971, shortly after his 65th birthday.