The University of Washington Tacoma will honor Bill Philip, the civic leader known as "Mr. Tacoma," with a community tribute on Monday, Oct. 26.

The event marks what would have been Philip's 100th birthday.

Philip, who helped found Columbia Bank and spent decades pushing to bring a UW campus to downtown Tacoma, died Monday, Aug. 24, at age 99.

The tribute will take place in the building that bears his name.

The program, titled "A Tribute to the Life & Impact of Bill Philip," begins at 4 p.m. in William Philip Hall at 1915 Commerce St. in downtown Tacoma, according to UW Tacoma.

A reception follows at 5 p.m. Advance registration is required.

Community leaders and others whose lives were shaped by Philip's vision will offer reflections on his contributions to the South Sound and the university.

A career that shaped downtown

Philip joined Puget Sound Bank as an investment clerk in 1951 and rose to become its chairman and CEO, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

After KeyCorp acquired Puget Sound Bank in 1992, Philip helped found Columbia Bank in 1993 and served as its CEO through 1999. Columbia Banking System reported $65.4 billion in assets across nine states as of June 30, according to MyNorthwest.

In the 1980s, Philip pushed for a UW "branch campus" in Tacoma and persuaded decision makers to locate it downtown rather than on a suburban site, according to a UW Tacoma oral history. He helped arrange real estate options to keep land and building costs down, the News Tribune reported. The campus opened in 1990.

Philip and George Russell, longtime leader of the Tacoma-based Russell Investment Group, spearheaded an effort to raise $1 million toward a campus endowment. Philip later served two terms as chair of the UW Tacoma Advisory Board and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from UW in 2017.

Former Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma said in an Aug. 26 statement to the News Tribune: "There would not be a University of Washington Tacoma in buildings downtown that predate any on the main campus without the effort of Bill Philip."

The hall and the honor

In 2007, UW Tacoma named its campus assembly hall after Philip following a suggestion from philanthropist James Milgard, who pledged $2 million for the building's development. The Washington state Senate recognized Philip in 2019 with a resolution proclaiming he had earned the title "Mr. Tacoma."

UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange said in an Aug. 26 statement that Philip "saw a vision for Tacoma's future that many couldn't yet imagine: a revitalized downtown with a university at its heart." She said UW Tacoma has opened doors for 35,000 South Sound students over 35 years.

Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen said in an Aug. 26 statement to the News Tribune that Philip's legacy "will live on for a very long time here in Tacoma and wherever the reach of one of the great institutions he helped found touches."

The Oct. 26 tribute is open to community members. Registration details are available through UW Tacoma's events page.