Lamar Phillips was born in the third decade of the 1900s in the central valley of California. After finishing college, Phillips earned a masters degree in International Development. As a result of this degree, he worked for 32 years in various countries of the world for an organization dedicated to supporting and training underprivileged people groups in developing countries how to improve their lifestyle and their health. He and his wife, now retired, live near Chattanooga, Tennessee.