Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Honoree

In 1999, Dr. Curtis M. Phillips and his wife, Barbara, donated their 58-acre Jacksonville horse farm to the University of Florida. The sale of the farm, combined with state matching funds, created the Barbara J. and Curtis M. Phillips, M.D. Endowment fund to support programs, performances and community events associated with the performing arts center, which was renamed in honor of Curtis M. Phillips.

Dr. Phillips grew up in Vidalia, GA and graduated from the University of Georgia where he completed both his undergraduate and medical studies. From 1944 to 1946, Dr. Phillips was on active duty in the U.S. Navy Reserve and participated in the Okinawa Campaign and the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan during WWII.
He returned home and completed his residency in surgery and pathology in 1947. Dr. Phillips was a surgery resident at University Hospital and the Medical College of Georgia from 1951 to 1954. Thereafter, he spent three years as a fellow in oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Dr. Phillips settled in Jacksonville, FL in 1957 where he practiced oncology and pathology at Baptist Memorial Hospital. He continued his career as a surgical oncologist for almost 40 years serving on the staff of numerous hospitals.

Dr. Phillips joined the American Board of Pathology in 1952 and the American Board of Surgery in 1957. He was also involved with the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons (now the American Head and Neck Society), the Florida Medical Society, the Duval Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Dr. Phillips was named one of the nation’s leading breast surgeons in a 1989 poll published in Good Housekeeping magazine.

Dr. Phillips passed away on Aug. 14, 2004 in Jacksonville, FL. Although he never graduated from UF, Dr. Phillips became a part of the Gator family though his dedication to education and love for the arts.

Facility History

The Phillips Center made its debut in 1992 with the Broadway musical Cats, and has since hosted many other exciting performances. With a capacity of 1,700, the Phillips Center features a state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, a sophisticated fly system for lighting and scenery, and an adjustable stage that allows for an orchestra pit. In addition to the main stage, a 200-seat Black Box Theatre accommodates small musical theatre productions, experimental theatre, recitals and receptions.