A Loyal Companion

Posted by Kim

There were two Japanese men who worked in the Frank Phillips Home  that had key roles in the smooth operation of daily activities for the Phillips family - Dan Mitani and Henry Einaga.  Today, I would like to talk about Dan Mitani.

Dan Mitani was Frank’s personal valet.  At the present time, we do not know when Dan began working for Frank, but we do know that he was with Frank at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs during the summer and fall of 1922.  Also, in November of 1922, Dan supervised the moving of the family into a segment of rooms on the twelfth floor of the Ambassador Hotel in New York City.  Dan accompanied Frank on all of his out of town trips and tended to all of his needs both at the Cherokee House and also at Woolaroc.  Dan had a small bedroom at Woolaroc, located right next to Frank’s room.  In 1925, Dan married Lee Savage, a maid who worked next door at the L. E. Phillips home.  L. E.’s wife, Node, was concerned with Dan working at Frank’s home and Lee working at L. E.’s home, personal information about both families might go back and forth between houses.  Lee felt quite insulted by this insinuation, and resigned.  But before 3 days had passed, Lee received a job offer from Jane to work at the mansion.  She accepted and worked for Frank and Jane for more than 20 years as the upstairs maid.  For most of their time with the Phillips family, the Mitanis owned their own home in town. 

When Frank’s memory began to fail, it was Dan that kept Frank on a schedule and comfortable.  Dan retired from service after Frank died.