MY FATHER IS THE REASON I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT STEM CELL RESEARCH.

I AM GRATEFUL THAT I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE HIS SON.

Phillips named Cardinal citee

Phillips named Cardinal citee

Arvon Phillips of Parsons has received the highest honor bestowed by the Labette Community College Foundation and Alumni Association for lifetime achievement. He has been named the 2007 Cardinal Citation recipient.

The Cardinal Citation is presented annually at commencement. The criteria are: nominee must be a living person who has made significant lifetime achievements to his or her profession, community, state or nation and nominee must have a current or past association with LCC, although the nominee does not have to be an LCC graduate.

A panel of volunteers reviews nominations and recommends a citee, who is honored the evening of commencement during a reception for all former citees, their families, guests and the public. The citee receives a plaque and is a speaker at commencement. The citee's framed portrait is hung in the Gallery of Cardinal Citation Recipients in the college's main administration building.

Phillips, a Southeast Kansas native, has a wife Bernice, and two sons, Scott and Tracy.

He graduated from Angola Grade School in 1948 and Labette County Community High School in 1952. He also was the senior class president, Student Council vice president and football captain during high school. Phillips was one of 10 children of the Homer and Marchie Phillips family to graduate from LCCHS.

Phillips graduated from LCC in 1954. While at LCC, from 1952 to 1954, he was a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and track. He was one of five Phillips brothers to graduate from LCC. He also attended Pittsburg State College from 1955 to 1956.

While in the military from 1957 to 1960, Phillips received a Battalion Citation for Outstanding Military Professionalism. He was part of several facets of military including special services and combat engineers in Fort Devins, Mass., an advanced individual training instructor in map reading in Fort Ord, Calif., an amphibious support command NCO and Sixth Army Special Services in Fort Lewis, Wash. He was a graduate of the NCO Academy in Fort Ord, Calif.

Phillips had an extensive professional history in the field of recreation for various communities, notably Parsons. He attended Washburn University from 1961 to 1963 and during that time was a recreation therapist for the Kansas Neurological Institute from 1960 to 1962. From 1962 to 1963 he was the community center director for the Topeka Recreation Commission. Phillips was the Parsons Recreation Commission director from 1964 to 1967 before taking the same slot at Cape Girardeau, Mo., from 1967 to 1968. Phillips returned to become the Parsons recreation and parks director from 1968 to 1994.

While working as the director, Phillips oversaw a new community center, seven new ball fields, four new tennis courts and three new community neighborhood parks. He also had a part in establishing Parsons' first community theater group and first young actors group. Among these accomplishments, he also organized Parsons' first Duplicate Bridge Club.

Phillips said, "The Parsons Community Center being dedicated as the 'Arvon Phillips Community Center' in 1995 is one of the most memorable events of my professional career. Being inducted into the 'Kansas Recreation & Parks Association Hall of Fame' is another."

In addition to his professional and family life, Phillips has been involved with various volunteer boards, including Kansas Recreation and Parks Executive Committee, Parsons Tree Board, Lake Parsons Board and was a Kansas Hunter Education instructor for more than 20 years.