Oral history with Dr. W. B. Thompson

              Oral history with Dr. W. B. Thompson
This oral history is provided through a cooperative project of University of Southern Mississippi Libraries and USM's Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage.
Funding provided by a National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute for Museum and Library Services
The transcript is presented here for reference purposes only. Interviews in this collection are protected by copyright. PERMISSION TO PUBLISH MUST BE REQUESTED from the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. Please call ( 601) 266- 4574 for more information.
Biography
Dr. William Bert Thompson was interviewed regarding his career of teaching and administration in Mississippi public schools. For twenty years he served in the Greenville, Mississippi, public schools as assistant principal, principal, and superintendent, and guided the Greenville public school system through the difficult period of racial integration.
Thompson was born on November 5, 1920, the son of Sam D. and Lucy D. Thompson. He grew up in and around Columbus, Mississippi, and graduated from Columbus's S. D. Lee High School in 1940 where he earned All Big- Eight honors in football. From 1940 to 1942 he attended East Central Junior College, where he played football on a scholarship until World War II interrupted his education. He enlisted in the air force in 1942 and served in the 21st Engineers building and repairing airstrips in North Africa and Italy. Returning from the war in 1945, he attended the University of Mississippi on a football scholarship. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree there in 1947 and a Master of Science degree in 1950. He also earned his doctorate in education from Ole Miss in 1968.
Thompson's career in education includes teaching, coaching, and administration. During the 1947- 48 school year he taught and coached football at his Alma Mater., S. D. Lee High School in Columbus. He then spent two years at Amory Elementary School in Amory, Mississippi, as principal, and assisted as a football coach.
In 1950 he transferred to Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Mississippi, where he served as principal and head football coach. He remained there until 1956 when he took the job of principal at the new Greenville High School. During his tenure as principal, Greenville High School achieved distinction in a variety of academic, athletic, and extra- curricular activities.
In 1965, Thompson became superintendent of the Greenville public school system. In that capacity he guided the school system, first through integration under what was known as " freedom of choice," and then through court- ordered desegregation and busing in 1969 and 1970.
In 1976 Thompson took the opportunity to become the dean of Mississippi College's School of Education, where he served until his retirement in 1986. mus- coh. thompsonw. doc Page 1 of 36