Thomas Phillips was born in 1927 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He was a trained artist from the age of 9 years old, having attended the Helen Lorenze Art School in Oklahoma City.

From there, he went on to study at Phillips University, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and the Kansas City Art Institute. Afterward, he joined the Merchant Marines and served in Korea as an artist. Phillips was considered to be “the poet of Western artists and a champion of preserving Native American history.”

Phillips worked at several different advertising agencies across the U.S. His career led him to be an illustrator for the American Hereford Association publication where he produced hundreds of paintings, drawings and sketches that were featured on the cover and interior of national magazines.

He dedicated his life to painting and sculpting to record and recreate the authentic history of First Americans.

Thomas is an outstanding and highly acclaimed artist who has helped to educate the general public about the culture and history of the Chickasaw Nation. Through his highly detailed paintings, which have been sold in print around the world, he has chronicled such events as the Chickasaws first meeting with Hernando DeSoto, the centennial celebration of the Chickasaw Historic Capitol Building, and many other important events.

He was awarded “The Master Heritage Award” by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum for his service.

Phillips died in 2005 after a lifetime preserving Chickasaw history through his art.