Chester W. PHILLIPS

Chet Phillips competed at Temple University, where he earned multiple Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC - EIGL conference at the time) titles, winning all-around in 1935-37, parallel bars in 1935 and 1937, and the horizontal bar in 1935-37. Phillips captured the AAU title on the high bar in 1937 and 1939 and won a bronze in all-around at the 1936 AAUs. He later became a college gymnastics coach, coaching at the US Naval Academy from 1940-65. He is considered the founder of the College Gymnastics Association (CGA) (originally known as the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches). He was CGA Coach of the Year in 1961, CGA Honor Coach Award Winner in 1972, was named a CGA Honorary Life Member, and in 1967, won the CGA Special Service Award. Phillips married Marie Kibler, who competed on the US women’s team at the 1936 Olympics. Phillips was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1963.