WCU Stories      November 26, 2024

By Bill Studenc

Phillips and Jordan Inc., a national construction contractor with roots in the Western North Carolina town of Robbinsville and headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee, has announced plans to build on its legacy of corporate support for Western Carolina University’s intercollegiate athletics program.

Company CEO Teddy Phillips Jr., who studied business management at WCU in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has pledged $1 million toward athletics facilities – specifically upgrades to E.J. Whitmire Stadium – if the Catamount Club booster organization reaches a total of 2,000 members by June 30, 2025.

The challenge gift comes as part of WCU’s GivingTuesday initiative with a focus on expanding membership in the Catamount Club and increasing funding for athletics facilities. The gift represents the latest example of a long history of support of Catamount athletics by the company and the family that founded it.

Late company founders Ted Phillips Sr. and Ted Jordan were members of various university leadership boards, with Jordan serving on WCU’s Board of Trustees from 1970 until 1973. The names Phillips and Jordan adorn WCU’s athletics field house, which is home to strength and conditioning space and is located adjacent to E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

Current company board chairwoman and majority stockholder Avis Phillips, wife of Phillips Sr. and mother of Phillips Jr., served on WCU’s Board of Trustees from 1977 until 1985.

The younger Phillips, who grew up in Robbinsville and served on the WCU Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009, was a member of the Catamount football team under legendary head coach Bob Waters during his time as a student in Cullowhee.

“My days at Western Carolina started back when I was probably 8 or 9 years old and I had some cousins of mine that played football up there in the late 1960s, and my brother-in-law played there from 1971 to 1973,” he said. “I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to play football at Western Carolina University in 1977. I came in and went out in 1981, but it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I’ll never forget how that shaped me as an individual.”

The 2024 football season marks the 50th anniversary of E.J. Whitmire Stadium, where Phillips Jr. competed as a student-athlete. The facility has seen little in the way of upgrades since it was built, he said.

“I was actually there for the first football game at the new stadium. It’s been 50 years, and we have so much more to look forward to by building better facilities,” he said. “We now have a window of opportunity to really improve our facilities so we can compete at a very high level.”

That window includes the current “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, which has an overall goal of raising $75 million in  support of WCU’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs. The campaign, entering its public phase in early 2025, is the first in university history to have a significant focus on raising philanthropic support for improving facilities used by student-athletes.

“At the end of the day, this is one of the most important things that Western Carolina University has going on at this time. Our facilities are tired, and we can do a lot better because we’ve got one of the most beautiful campuses in America. We need to step up and make this happen,” Phillips Jr. said.

In addition to the GivingTuesday challenge gift from Phillips and Jordan Inc., Avis and Teddy Phillips in honor of the senior Phillips’ 75th birthday in 2007 established a $1 million endowment at WCU specifically designed to provide scholarships for construction management majors. 

“We choose to invest in Western Carolina University because we’ve got deep roots there. It’s close to our hometown. We know the kids are getting a really good education there. We hire a lot of these people in our business who work all over the United States,” Phillips Jr. said.

A co-chair of the “Fill the Western Sky” campaign steering committee along with wife Christy, Phillips Jr. encouraged other fans, community members, alumni and friends of the university to get involved by joining the Catamount Club and unlocking the $1 million challenge gift.

“We’re 50 years into the stadium, and there haven’t been a whole lot of improvements,” he said. “The athletics facilities at Western Carolina are needing everybody in the Catamount Nation to step up on GivingTuesday.”

Launched in 2012, GivingTuesday is a nationally observed day of philanthropy held on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and after the big shopping days of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. This year’s initiative at WCU is designed to increase support for the Catamount athletics program

Through a previously announced GivingTuesday challenge gift, members of the WCU Foundation Board of Directors have committed to contributing an extra $2 per donor for the first 1,000 donors during GivingTuesday. That could lead to an additional $14,000 for the Catamount Club. WCU’s Division of Advancement has set an overall goal of 1,300 individual donors on Dec. 3.

In addition, 16 members of the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Office of Alumni Engagement staff are collectively offering a matching gift for the Catamount Club Scholarship Fund totaling $800 in additional support, said Rebekah Cheney, director of annual giving.

“We are so appreciative of Phillips and Jordan, the challenge issued by our Foundation Board members and the matching gift from our Alumni Association leaders,” said Wes Cogdill, associate athletics director and director of the Catamount Club. “Contributions to the Catamount Club provide vital support to the more than 350 student-athletes who wear the purple and gold and proudly represent Western Carolina University.”

GivingTuesday donations can be made at givingtuesday.wcu.edu or by contacting the WCU Division of Advancement at 828-227-7124 or annualgiving@wcu.edu.