Phil Howe
Growing up in Manhattan, Kan., the son of Kansas State University alumnus, professor, and dean, Dr. Harold Howe, made Phil Howe a product of his environment–he is a Wildcat through and through. He has been cheering for Kansas State as long as he has been able to talk. Born in Manhattan in 1932, Phil attended local schools and graduated from the Sacred Heart Academy High School in 1950.
It was natural that Phil would choose K-State for his higher education; enrolling in 1950, he was an active member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He graduated in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. The exceptional friends he had while at K-State, or has through a shared affection of all things purple over the last 63 years have been a very major part of his life.
Phil married Margaret Griffith, a graduate of the College of Human Ecology, in 1957. After graduating, Phil spent his required time in the United States Army then returned to Manhattan where he worked briefly in the insurance business before taking a job at the Union National Bank, where he was a loan officer making and managing consumer and commercial loans.
In 1969, Phil applied for and received the charter for Kansas State Bank. Soon, Kansas State Bank of Manhattan opened in the Westloop Shopping Center. As bank president, Phil oversaw all operations. Kansas State Bank grew rapidly. In 1990, total assets for Kansas State Bank were approximately $38 million. Over the next 23 years, with Phil as CEO, Kansas State Bank saw consistent, quality growth. Today total assets are more than $950 million.
During his career, Phil served as president of Griffith Oil Company, was founder and President of Master Medical Company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and founded Baystone Financial Group in 1988, specializing in loans to municipal entities.
Phil has also been actively involved in the Manhattan community and in the life of Kansas State. He served for many years on the St. Mary's Hospital Board, to include being both past president and past chairman. Phil has been active in the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, served as a board member and President of the United Way of Riley County, helped establish the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and the Foundation's YES! Fund (Youth Empowerment for Success). Phil also serves on the Dean's Business Advisory Council for the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University and is a past member of the KSU Foundation Board.
Phil was at the forefront of the inception of the K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business Administration. Since its founding in 2008, Phil has been one of the driving forces behind the center and has invested his time, know-how and resources in helping to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of future generations.
An entrepreneur at heart, Phil has lived his life as an innovator and risk taker. He knows how to harness an opportunity and turn it into success. Hard working, philanthropic, visionary, and a Wildcat at his core - these are characteristics that define Phil Howe as a successful man and as a business legend at Kansas State University.
