Volney Graham Philips

Volney Graham Philips was born in Kentucky in 1887 and later attended the University of Tennessee, but he spent most of his life in the Florida panhandle. Before his term as a public servant, Philips was a businessman in the naval store and timber industry. He owned Philips Turpentine Company from its inception in 1930 until its dissolution in 1948. Philips served as the District 5 County Commissioner from 1939-1952 and was Chairman of the Board several times. During his time as commissioner, Philips helped finalize details of the 1942 gas tax amendment to the state constitution, a move that reduced interest rates and saved hundreds of thousands of tax dollars. He served as president of the Florida Association of County Commissioners in 1941. He was also a member of the Florida State University Seminole Boosters and highly involved with the First Presbyterian Church. He died in 1962 in Tallahassee.