Homestead Campus To Rename Building A After Its Founding President

The Homestead Campus is renaming its oldest building after its founding president—the late Roy Gene Phillips.

Building A will be designated the Dr. Roy G. Phillips Center during an on-campus ceremony on Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. 

The 26,828 square foot facility, where Phillips had his office for more than a decade, currently houses the Student Life Department, admissions, advising, registration, TRIO and Institute For Civic Engagement and Democracy.

Confirmed speakers include Phillips’ son—Roy Gene Phillips Jr.—Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega and Provost Malou C. Harrison.

“His hard work and dedication to the College, campus and community at large won’t go unnoticed,” said Oscar Loynaz, the current Homestead Campus president.

The process to rename building A in Phillips’ honor began in January about a month after his passing. Carmen Morris, who served as director of communications at Homestead Campus during Phillips’ time there, created an online petition requesting the distinction. More than 2,600 people signed it.

“My family and I are ecstatic and we’re grateful,” said Roy Jr., Phillips’ oldest son who has worked at the College as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician for 33 years.

Phillips earned his doctoral degree in urban secondary administration from the University of Michigan. He started his career in academia as a teacher and principal in Detroit, Michigan. He would go on to serve as vice president of Wayne County Community College District, president of Seattle Central College and Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska. 

In 1980, Phillips started working as the North Campus vice president, a term used at that time for campus presidents. He later transferred to Wolfson Campus to serve as the vice president of public affairs. 

In the late-80’s, Phillips created a study titled “A New Frontier in Education.” In it, he presented a plan for MDC to expand and what the new campus’ role would be. That vision came to fruition in 1990 when he was tabbed as the founding president of Homestead Campus.

During his 11 years at the helm at Homestead, Phillips was deeply ingrained in the community. 

After Hurricane Andrew caused massive destruction in the area in 1992, Phillips stood in front of building A distributing water bottles and his own money to help residents in the area. 

He advocated for science classes to be taught at Homestead Campus so students who lived in cities like Homestead, Cutler Bay and Florida City wouldn’t have to travel to other campuses to take the courses. 

Phillips also got assistance from Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek to fund building F—where part of the aviation program is housed. 

He also worked with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to offer students from Robert Morgan Educational Center hands-on training in auto repair while they earned dual enrollment credits.

Xania Lawrence, who is currently the administrative assistant to the dean of faculty at Homestead, met Phillips while she was a student at the campus in 1999. She recalls how he often asked students how they were doing and reminded them to stay focused on their studies. 

“He was like a father figure to a lot of us,” Lawrence said. “He loved everyone.”

Phillips married Vira Goosby. The couple had four children—Roy Jr, Kevin, Crystal and Kelley. But in 1991 after reading an article in the Miami Herald about four siblings who had been separated in the foster care system, they adopted Angie, April, Dwayne and Alex.

“I don’t know many people who would have done [such a] remarkable thing,” Morris said.

Phillips retired in December of 2001 after more than a decade as president at Homestead Campus, but his involvement in the community never waned. 

He served as chairman of Tools for Change—an organization that provides capital, technical and business assistance and education—and was a board member for the YMCA of Greater Miami, the Miami Coalition Against Drugs and Miami-Dade Mayor’s Urban Economic Revitalization Task Force.

Phillips also remained involved at his local church—Universal Truth Center—in Miami Gardens where he taught and advised the youth. 

In 2002, he began researching his ancestors’ trajectory from Africa to America. His quest led him back to his hometown of Minden, Louisiana.

That research produced the book, Exodus From The Door Of No Return: Journey of an American Family, which was published in September of 2006.

But by 2017, Phillips and Vira’s health started to decline. He showed early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and she struggled with dementia.  

Vira was diagnosed with liver cancer and underwent chemotherapy and dialysis. She passed away on Dec. 15 of 2020. 

Three days later, after Phillips was told his wife of 63 years had passed away, the 86-year-old succumbed to natural causes.    

“He just shut down,” Roy Jr. said. “It was a love story where they couldn’t live without each other.”

 Despite his passing, Phillips’ legacy remains.

“A lot of people in this community would not have otherwise gotten the opportunity to get a college education if it wouldn’t have been for Dr. Roy Phillips,” Morris said. “No matter what age or culture people are from, their lives are impacted by him in a positive way.”