Edwin D. Phillips Debate Team Scholarship | Paul Simon Public Policy Institute | SIU

The Edwin D. Phillips Debate Team Scholarship has been established to honor SIU Carbondale's championship debate team.

Speech Communication, especially when it involved leadership was always important to Ed Phillips!

While attending Central Michigan University, Ed was on the debate team and received National Honors in both debate & speech. In 1959, he was honored in "Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities." Central still has a jazz radio show that Ed started while he was there.

Prior to his time at SIU, where Ed earned his PhD in Speech Communication and then taught Airline Management, Ed had a long career in the U.S. Navy, retiring after 22 years and attaining the rank of Captain. Ed was a diver in the NAVY Explosive Ordnance Disposal program. He left active duty and was hired by United Airlines in 1966. Ed worked for 29 years in management, first in-flight and then as Head of Facilities for their corporate headquarters.

In 1995/96 while working on his Masters in Speech Communication, Ed was one of the assistant coaches for the SIU Debate Team. His 2000 dissertation was entitled: "Defining Leadership Communication."

The scholarship award will be credited to the student’s SIU bursar account for use toward tuition and student fees.

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