Born May 5, 1927 in Westville, Illinois to John and Elsie (DeBarba) Plumart, Phillip “Phil” Edmond Plumart was “the proud son of a long line of coal miners descending from Belgium” who went on to serve SDSU for 28 years, where he was “Teacher of the Year” multiple times and recipient of its Outstanding Service Award in 1986 for service to students. After serving in the US Army (1944-1947), Phillip Plumart received his B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Illinois in 1950 and is M.S. in Poultry Science from Kansas State College/University in 1952. He continued his post-graduate work at Purdue and the University of Minnesota.

On August 4, 1956, he married Darlene Rieck of Sheboygan, WI. They had three children: Perry (Mary) Plumart, Larry (Donna) Plumart, and Rene (Phil Salisbury) Plumart. / From 1961-1974, Phil Plumart was an Assistant Professor at SDSU, and from 1975-1989, he was Associate Professor, retiring in 1989 as Professor Emeritus and Extension Poultry Specialist. During his tenure, he taught poultry management, advised animal science students and worked in extension services with both poultry and computers. In addition to the awards mentioned above, he received in 1983 the Distinguished Service Award from the SD Future Farmers of America for his involvement in poultry judging, as well as his automating of FFA rules and regulations. He also developed the computer program used in recording and tracking the thousands of 4-H entries at the SD State Fair. In addition, he was awarded “Poultryman of the Year” and the “Gip Nolan Award for Outstanding Community Service.” Among his many community activities, he was 13 years of the Brookings City Planning Commission and later served as a Brookings City Commissioner, where he oversaw the finances for the Swiftel Center and the expansion of the Brookings Public Library. His colleagues called him “peppy, not only because of his initials, but because of his boundless energy and enthusiasm.”

He died November 27, 2014 in Brookings, SD (Thanksgiving Day).