Alumni family honors a legacy rooted in agriculture and Virginia Tech
A gift in honor of E. Phillip “Phil” Hickman ’74 will support graduate students in agricultural and applied economics.
Phil Hickman ’74 loved three things with uncommon intensity: farming, his family, and Virginia Tech. Friends and relatives say those passions were evident in everything he did — from building Dublin Farms into one of the largest potato growers on the East Coast to spending time with his children and grandchildren to piloting the bright orange boat he proudly named “The Hokie High.”
That devotion lives on through a family gift to the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With the creation of the E. Phillip “Phil” Hickman Graduate Fellowship, Phil’s family hopes to honor the place and people that meant so much to him.
Phil, who passed away in 2024, was a fourth-generation potato farmer, a respected agricultural leader, and a proud Hokie. His life’s work — growing Dublin Farms, mentoring young people, and championing agriculture — now continues through his family, including his son, E. Phillip "Phillip" Hickman III ’01, and his grandson Logan, who both followed his path into agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech.
Building a potato powerhouse
Phil’s connection to the university began long before he arrived in Blacksburg in 1971.
“Phil was set on Virginia Tech from childhood, walking down the potato rows with his father,” said his wife of 52 years, Sandra “Sandy” Hickman. “He knew that if he wanted to keep farming, he needed to learn the business side of agriculture. Virginia Tech made that possible.”
The Hickman family has grown potatoes on the Eastern Shore since 1876, and growing up, Phil and his brother, David, planned to continue that tradition. When they were in high school, their father passed away suddenly, bringing the family’s long-running farm operation to a halt. Equipment was sold, land was rented out, and the future of the farm was uncertain.
Determined to rebuild, the brothers went off to college to learn the skills they would need. Phil went on to Virginia Tech to study agricultural and applied economics. David, two years younger, headed to North Carolina State University to complete a two-year agricultural degree so they would both finish school at the same time and return home to farm together.
“They didn’t have much at the beginning, but they worked hard, learned constantly, and little by little they grew,” Sandy said.
Over five decades, Phil and David expanded Dublin Farms into a major operation serving markets from Montreal to Miami and providing Virginia-grown potatoes to Walmarts and Food Lions across the East Coast.
Phil also volunteered his time to advocate for agriculture, serving for decades on the Virginia State Seed Potato Board and the Accomack County Planning Commission. In 2019, he became the first Virginian to chair Potatoes USA, the national marketing and promotion board for the U.S. potato industry. Phil and David also worked closely with Virginia Tech’s Eastern Shore Research and Agricultural Extension Center, contributing to agricultural innovation and education throughout the region.
Through it all, Phil’s connection to Virginia Tech remained strong. Whether driving his maroon pickup, tailgating at Lane Stadium in his maroon Sprinter van, or fishing with grandchildren in “The Hokie High,” he proudly celebrated his Hokie roots. Over the years, the Hickmans supported students and programs across the university, including the Beyond Boundaries Scholars program, the Hokie Scholarship Fund, the CALS Annual Fund, and the university’s indoor football practice facility.
“I never met anyone who loved Virginia Tech more than Phil did,” Sandy said. “The college saved him and gave him the opportunity to obtain his dream — to be an Eastern Shore potato farmer and be very good at it. Not everyone gets to do their dream job, but he did.”
Three generations pursue agricultural and applied economics
When it was time to go to college, Phillip Hickman, Phil’s son, chose to study agricultural and applied economics for the same reason his father had: He wanted to understand the business forces shaping agriculture and bring that knowledge home to the farm.
Phillip had already spent countless hours at his father’s side, riding along in his truck, helping plant and harvest, and learning the steady work ethic that defined Dublin Farms.
“Dad was always right there beside us, hands-on with everything until the day he died,” Phillip said. “Farmers can get stuck in our own world, but ag econ forces you to see the bigger picture. That’s critical if you’re going to compete in the modern ag industry. Dad saw that 40 years ago, and it rings even louder today.”
Today, as president of Dublin Farms, Phillip runs the farm with his cousins, Matt and Mark, who are also alumni of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Matt Hickman graduated in 2004 with a degree in agricultural economics, while Mark is a 2007 graduate of the Agricultural Technology program.
The farm is entering a new phase of growth, including a packing-house expansion with a new wash and pack line that will increase efficiency and broaden its footprint in the consumer-pack market. The family continues to invest in technology, automation, and modernization to meet buyer expectations and remain competitive.
Phillip’s son — Phil’s grandson — Logan Hickman hopes to continue that trajectory. Now a junior studying agricultural and applied economics, Logan represents the third straight generation in the family to pursue the major.
“My grandfather was like a second father to me,” Logan said. “He was one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, and he had an infectious laugh that could make anyone smile. After growing up as a farmer and a Hokie, I knew Virginia Tech was where I wanted to be.”
Logan aims to complete a master’s degree before returning home to work at Dublin Farms, bringing new ideas and innovation to the operation he hopes to help run one day.
A legacy carried forward through giving
The Hickman family’s gift establishing a graduate fellowship reflects Phil’s belief in supporting the next generations of agricultural leaders.
“Supporting students who love agriculture the way he did feels like the perfect way to honor him,” Sandy said. “If a person gets an agricultural degree and wants to learn more at a higher level, then they love what they do. Phil would be so proud to help them continue that path.”
In recognition of the family’s gift and Phil’s lasting contributions to agriculture and Virginia Tech, a conference room in Hutcheson Hall now bears his name as the E. Phillip “Phil” Hickman Conference Room. It was dedicated in a ceremony in November, with dozens of family members, friends, faculty, and staff in attendance.
The Hickman family hopes the conference room will be a place where students, faculty, and partners come together to learn, collaborate, and carry agriculture forward.
For Logan, the honor carries a personal weight that goes beyond the name on the door.
“Knowing there’s a place on campus where I can go and feel connected to him really means a lot,” he said. “I know it would mean the world to him. To be represented in such a permanent way at a place he loved so much — he would think it was incredible.”
