Philip W. Buchen
Philip William Buchen was an American attorney who served as White House Counsel during the Ford Administration.
Buchen was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the son of State Senator Gustave Buchen. In his youth he contracted polio and thereafter walked with a cane. He graduated from Sheboygan High School in 1935 and received his J.D. degree in 1941 from the University of Michigan, where he met Gerald Ford. At Michigan, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. He opened a law practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan with Ford in May 1941.
Buchen continued to practice law in Grand Rapids until 1974, when he came to Washington to serve on Vice President Ford's staff. He served as chief White House Counsel with Cabinet rank for the duration of Ford's presidency. When Ford left office, Buchen remained in Washington, practicing law with the firm of Dewey Ballantine until 1995. Buchen served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1977 to 1981.
