A Tribute to Tom Phillips

We remember with gratitude Tom Phillips, our Founding Chairman, who passed away the night of January 9^, 2019. Current TOW Project co-Chair Andy Mills gave this video tribute to Tom at the Faith and Work Summit 2014.

Thomas L. Phillips was a retired chairman and chief executive officer of Raytheon Company. He was elected chairman in 1975, having previously served as president since 1964. He was named chief executive officer in 1968. Mr. Phillips retired as chairman and CEO in 1991 and as a director in 2000.

Mr. Phillips was born in 1924 in Istanbul. He graduated from Boston Public Latin School in 1942 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1947 and 1948, respectively. He joined Raytheon in 1948 as an electronics design engineer and moved up through a series of increasingly responsible engineering and management positions. He served as program manager of the Hawk ground-to-air and Sparrow III air-to-air guided missile systems. In 1960, he was elected a vice president of Raytheon and appointed general manager of its Missile and Space Division. He was named executive vice president of Raytheon in 1961 and president in 1964.

Mr. Phillips was a director of SRA International, Inc. He was aretired director of Digital Equipment Corporation, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, Knight-Ridder Incorporated, and State Street Research & Management Company. He was a trustee of Gordon College, a former trustee of Massachusetts General Hospital and an honorary trustee of Northeastern University. He was the Founding Chairman of the Theology of Work Project.

Mr. Phillips was awarded honorary degrees by Babson College, Boston College, Gordon College, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Northeastern University, Stonehill College and Suffolk University. He was a member of the state advisory board of the Salvation Army, the Executive committee of the United Ways of Eastern New England, the board of overseers of the Museum of Science, and a member of the corporation of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Mr. Phillips was also a member of the Business Council and the National Academy of Engineering. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.