December 18, 2009
Endowment established honoring Brother Eugene
The Brother Eugene Phillipp Memorial Foundation, Inc., an-nounced the launch of a $1 million campaign, to honor the memory of Brother Eugene and to raise money for the long term preservation and restoration of the original 1925 Memorial High School building. The campaign was announced in the Memorial High School Alumni magazine, Memorial Memories.
“Brother Eugene spent 47 years teaching and caring for this grand building,” said Dr. Matthew Will, chairman of the foundation. “It is now our job to honor his memory by making sure his legacy continues and 47 years from now future Mem-orial students may also learn in this beautiful structure.”
The first project of the foundation was to assist in the restoration of the school auditorium, which began before Brother Eugene passed away in early August. The foundation assisted by finalizing the restoration of the bronze door fixtures, which Brother Eugene had requested before his death. The bronze fixtures required hand finishing and took over three months. The task was completed by a firm in Cincinnati that specializes in restoration of artwork and historic artifacts.
Brother Eugene was known throughout the Evansville and Memorial High School communities as an innovative teacher, manager of the school bookstore and tireless worker at the school. He was famous for his colorful classroom lectures and the mentoring he provided to thousands of students over the years. His dedication to preserving the original Memorial High School building was a driving force behind the creation of the Foundation in his honor.
People interested in donating to the Foundation are encouraged to send donations pay-able to Reitz Memorial High School, 1500 Lincoln Ave, Evansville, IN 47714. Please include a note stating the donation is in honor of Brother Eugene Phillipp.