Charles Franklin Phillips
Upon being elected the youngest president in Bates history at 34, he increased the student body to 1,004, created the college's study-abroad program, and added $5 million to the endowment, more than quadrupling it.[2] As president, Phillips initiated the core study program and 3/4 option allowing students to graduate in three years.He also initiated the study abroad program, oversaw the construction of many new buildings at Bates, and had the college's observatory demolished.[3] Charles Franklin Phillips died on March 3, 1998, in Auburn, Maine.This bequest was used to fund the Phillips Fellowships, which are granted to students for research abroad.