EXHIBIT 31.1

     CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 (a) OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

     I, George H. Glatfelter II, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of P. H.
     Glatfelter Company, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period
     ended September 30, 2003 of P.H. Glatfelter Company ("Glatfelter");

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report.

4.   Glatfelter's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over
     financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and
     15d-15(f)) for Glatfelter and have:

          (a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
               disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
               supervision, to ensure that material information relating to
               Glatfelter, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
               known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
               the period in which this report is being prepared;

          (b)  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or
               caused such internal control over financial reporting to be
               designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance
               regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
               preparation of financial statements for external purposes in
               accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

          (c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of Glatfelter's disclosure controls
               and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
               the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as
               of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
               evaluation; and

          (d)  Disclosed in this report any change in Glatfelter's internal
               control over financial reporting that occurred during
               Glatfelter's most recent fiscal quarter (the fourth fiscal
               quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
               affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
               Glatfelter's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   Glatfelter's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
     most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     Glatfelter's auditors and the audit committee of the Glatfelter's board of
     directors:

          (a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
               design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
               which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Glatfelter's
               ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
               information; and

          (b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant role in Glatfelter's
               internal control over financial reporting.

                  Date: November 13, 2003    By: /s/ George H. Glatfelter II
                                                 ----------------------------
                                                     George H. Glatfelter II
                                                     Chairman and Chief
                                                     Executive Officer