The Murry O. Phillips Papers contain photographic slides, overhead transparencies, films strips, papers, scrapbooks, and ephemera related to Phillips lengthy career in agriculture and agricultural education in the state of North Carolina. Additionally there is material documenting M. O. Phillips's involvement with the development of the town of Coats, North Carolina, and material documenting Phillips's participation with the Future Farmers of America. The collection also includes an extensive slide collection created by Phillips that highlights the beauty of rural North Carolina, as well as personal slides, photographs,and papers.
Murry O. Phillips (1913-2000) taught vocational agriculture in Harnett County, N.C., and then served as the Chief Curriculum Specialist and Supervisor for curriculum development in vocational education for the North Carolina Department of Public Education. Phillips was a pioneer in the use of audiovisual material in the classroom. Phillips received corporate grants that allowed him to perfect techniques related to the presentation of classroom materials using ditto machines, thermofaxes, and 35 mm slides
Murry Ormand Phillips was born on April 28, 1913, in Leake County, Mississippi. After graduating from Mississippi State University, he took a teaching position at Coats High School, in Coats, a small town in central North Carolina's, Harnett County. Shortly after arriving in Coats, he was introduced to Kathryn Stewart Smith. They were married a year later. Phillips lived in Coats until his death on May 16, 2000.
A pioneer in the use of color slide film, Phillips was among the first to work in the medium, starting in 1938. Throughout his career he was a technical innovator. Early on, Phillips was the recipient of corporate grants that allowed him to perfect techniques related to the presentation of classroom materials using ditto machines, thermofaxes, and 35 mm slides. Phillips' career as an educator was put on hold during World War II. He saw action in North Africa and Italy, served under Generals George Patton and Mark Clark, and received numerous commendations for bravery. Phillips retired from active service after the war but continued to serve in the Army Reserves, and retired with the rank of Major.
In the twenty-eight years that M. O. Phillips spent teaching vocational agriculture in Harnett County, he perfected the use of classroom instructional aids using a variety of media. His specialty was the use of slides and overhead projectors. He evolved his presentation skills to include film strips and video production. In 1958 Phillips received a Master's degree in Agricultural Education from North Carolina State University. After teaching vocational agriculture in Harnett County, Phillips served as the Chief Curriculum Specialist and Supervisor for curriculum development in vocational education for the North Carolina Department of Public Education. He worked in that capacity for ten years.
Phillips was an active leader in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and served as the director of the FFA summer youth camp in White Lake, North Carolina, for ten years. He was recognized numerous times by the FFA for his many contributions to the organization. He received additional recognition from the National Vocational Agricultural Teacher's Association, Inc. who awarded Phillips Honorary American Farmer degrees in 1937, 1948, and 1958. The Coats, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce named M. O. Phillips "Coats, Man of the Year" in 1983. Phillips received the "Governor's Volunteer Award" from Governor James Hunt in 1994.
In addition to civic and military service, Phillips served as a deacon at the Coats Baptist Church and taught Sunday School there for forty-five years. He applied his skill in classroom media development and created slide presentations related to scripture. At the time of his death he was working on a book of sermons for children.
The Murry O. Phillips Papers contain photographic slides, overhead transparencies, films strips, papers, scrapbooks, and ephemera related to Phillips lengthy career in agriculture and agricultural education in the state of North Carolina. Additionally there is material documenting M. O. Phillips's involvement with the development of the town of Coats, North Carolina, and material documenting Phillips's participation with the Future Farmers of America. The collection also includes an extensive slide collection created by Phillips that highlights the beauty of rural North Carolina, as well as personal slides, photographs,and papers.
The material is organized into four series; Professional Papers, Professional Audiovisual Instruction and Production, Personal Papers, and Artifacts.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Murry O. Phillips Papers, MC 00282, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Donated by Ms. Carolyn Phillips Spears, June 2000 (Accession no. 2000-0010).
The collection is organized into four principal series:
Series contains material used by M. O. Phillips throughout his career as an audiovisual instructor and vocational/agricultural teacher for the Harnett County, North Carolina school system. Additionally there is material related to Phillips's work as a Future Farmers of America (FFA) administrator, and an extensive collection of learning activity packets that Phillips helped develop when he worked as an educational program developer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Also included in this series are letters and correspondence, papers used in classroom settings, educational module readouts, overhead transparency masters, and overhead transparencies. These papers have been left in their original order where possible. Notation used by M. O. Phillips is included in the content list description of some items.
17 archival boxes
This sub series contains printed material used by Phillips in the administration of Future Farmers of America programs.
Series contains professional materials produced and utilized by M. O. Phillips throughout his lengthy career as an audiovisual instructor, vocational/agricultural teacher, and educational curriculum developer. Included are classroom instruction materials, periodicals and training manuals, film strips, videos, audio recordings, scripts and shot lists, numerous overhead transparencies, audiovisual equipment, photographs, and over 2000 35 mm slides documenting Phillips's extensive work in vocational/agricultural education, the Future Farmers of America, and with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Also included is a collection of slide groupings that highlight the state of North Carolina's scenic beauty. The material contained in this series spans a period of six decades and has been left in its original order, where possible. Notation used by M. O. Phillips is included in the content list description of some items.
18 archival boxes
Series contains letters and correspondence, awards and certificates, and documentation relating to the M.O. Phillips Scholarship Fund. Additionally there is material on the town of Coats, North Carolina, and the Coats Baptist Church.
2 archival boxes
Contained in this series there are two scrapbooks for the Coats, North Carolina Chapter of the Future Farmers of America, 1959 - 1961. Additionally there are Agricultural Education and architectural drawings of the FFA Agricultural Museum at White Lake, North Carolina, and mechanical drawings of the 'Phillips Video Controller' and the M.O. Phillips Projection System, oversized photos and transparencies.
2 archival boxes
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
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[Identification of item], Murry O. Phillips Papers, MC 00282, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.