Philip H. Iselin (September 1, 1902 – December 28, 1976) was a New York City women's apparel manufacturer who was a shareholder and President of the New York Jets football team and Chairman of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. He was a member of the original Board of Directors that bought the New York Titans in 1963 and renamed the franchise the Jets. In 1968, he succeeded Donald C. Lillis as President of the Jets.
A member of The Jockey Club, Iselin and Amory L. Haskell headed a group of investors who founded the Monmouth Park Jockey Club in 1944 to build a new Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Oceanport, New Jersey. The track opened in 1946 and Iselin served as treasurer of the Monmouth Park Jockey Club until 1968 when he was appointed President.
Iselin's tenure as team president began with the Jets winning Super Bowl III. The ballclub eventually went into decline, failing to achieve a winning record in each of the last seven seasons with Iselin in charge from 1970 to 1976. He was one of the most vocal supporters for keeping all ten American Football League teams in the same conference as part of the AFL–NFL merger.Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times: Phil Iselin and the Jets' Future," The New York Times, Wednesday 29 December 1976. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
Iselin died of a heart attack at age 74 in the Jets' Manhattan offices on 28 December 1976.Rogers, Thomas. "Philip E. Iselin, President of Jets And Monmouth Park, Dies at 74," The New York Times, Wednesday 29 December 1976. Retrieved 26 July 2026. He had been working on finding a new head coach to succeed Lou Holtz.Richman, Milton. "Jet Owner Dines And Dies," United Press International (UPI), Wednesday 29 December 1976. Retrieved 26 July 2026. He had suffered a cardiac arrest while watching the Jets' 46–3 loss to the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium three months earlier on 19 September.
Son James "Jimmy" Iselin became a racehorse trainer."Chief Tamanaco Brings Good Cheer for Iselins," The New York Times, Thursday 23 December 1976. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
References
Further reading December 29, 1976 Boca Raton News article titled "Phil Iselin leaves legacy of love" January 1, 1977 St. Petersburg Times article titled "Sport world mourns Iselin"