Fred L. Phillips, well known in Shreveport-Bossier City for his loyal business practices, community service, philanthropy, and kind heart, passed away in 2021 at the age of 73.
Fred was a pillar of the oil and gas industry and was proud to serve as President and CEO of Phillips Energy. He had a passion for both aviation and its development. His family is dedicated to keeping his generous spirit alive and impacting the future of the aviation industry.
To honor their patriarch, the Phillips family established the Fred L. Phillips Aviation Memorial Endowed Scholarship through the Louisiana Tech University Foundation.
The scholarship will be awarded to the first recipient at the AVFEST Awards Banquet on April 27 at Tech's Ruston Campus. The annual festival, hosted by the university's Department of Professional Aviation, brings together students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni to celebrate the program, hear about the current state of the aviation industry, and learn about those studying and working in the field. It's about building relationships with.
Neither Phillips nor his family are Tech graduates. However, the family wanted to honor their father's memory by establishing an endowment at a university that could share his passion for the skies and pass that passion on to others. Now, his and his family's ties to the university will forever be strong.
“The Phillips family believes in our students and wants to help them realize their dreams of becoming pilots,” says the founder of this scholarship, which will help achieve philanthropic goals associated with Louisiana Tech University. said development director Rosilyn Gillam, who has worked with the family for. “This endowment represents a lasting gift that will continue to provide opportunities to nurture the legacy of their father's passion and inspire future generations to soar to new heights.”
“My father was a very beautiful and genuine soul,” said Dr. Sue Phillips Grisham. “He was so easy to love. He uplifted everyone and celebrated the accomplishments of others, big and small. His resilience, his passion for any journey, his dedication and tenacity; His passionate enthusiasm for aviation will forever be remembered. He was a mentor to many young pilots and an inspiration to everyone he met. We look forward to continuing his legacy. We want to help instill these values in young pilots early in their careers.”
Described by many as a friend with a smile that lit up a room and a warmth that was contagious, Phillips was a passionate man, brother, father, and grandfather who was always there for those in need. I always reached out, often anonymously.
“He lived a wonderful life filled with adventure, excitement, compassion and generosity,” Grisham said.
He was known for his originality and excelled at living close to the frontier. He was an accomplished racing driver and competed internationally and in the Daytona 24 Hours. His other hobbies and passions include motorcycles, bicycles, and collecting watches and cars.
Phillips loved being in the air, making over 3,500 skydiving jumps, but his true passion was aviation. He flew solo in his 19th year, earned his multi-engine and private pilot certification in just 12 months, and eventually earned his commercial pilot rating.
In 2017, he received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration for more than 50 years of safe flight. Phillips has logged more than 18,000 flight hours and owned several different airplanes along the way. His latest aircraft represented the person he was, from the Bombardier Aria his Jet 60, Eclipse 550, Robinson 44 helicopter to his Panzl S330 aerobatic plane, and several experimental aircraft. For Phillips, the sky was a sacred place, and the donation in his name would convey that passion, his family said.
For more information about donations or other ways to support Louisiana Tech University, contact University Advancement at 318.255.7950 or email Giving@LaTechAlumni.org.
