William Y. Thompson
Encyclopedia
William Young Thompson is a retired historian
who was affiliated for most of his academic career, from 1955 through 1988, with Louisiana Tech University
at Ruston
in Lincoln Parish
, Louisiana
. A specialist in the history of his native American South, Thompson served as chairman of the university history department from 1965 until his retirement.
, to Henry Howard Thompson and the former Frances Ellzey. During World War II
, he was from 1943-1945 a first lieutenant
in the United States Army Air Corps
, the forerunner of the Air Force
. He served in the European Theatre of Operations. During the war, Thompson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Air Medal
with three Oak Leaf Cluster
s.
After his military service, Thompson completed his studies at the University of Alabama
at Tuscaloosa
, Alabama
, having received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1946. Thereafter, he obtained the Master of Arts
from Emory University
, a Methodist-affiliated institution in Atlanta
, Georgia
. From 1950-1955, he was a professor at Presbyterian College
in Clinton
in Laurens County in northwestern South Carolina
. While at Presbyterian College, he completed requirements for his Ph.D.
at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
, North Carolina
.
, grew from his master's thesis
at Emory. The 1966 publication through Louisiana State University Press
in Baton Rouge is based on the career of Robert Toombs
(1810-1885) of Georgia
, before, during, and after the American Civil War
.Thompson's writing is thorough and documented and emphasizes Toombs as an unrepentant Confederate who refused to take the loyalty oath after 1865 and remained an undisciplined individualist. Thompson recounts how Toombs before his death viewed the election of the New York
Democrat
Grover Cleveland
as a vindication of southern virtue.
. A reviewer of E.M. Graham concludes that there is "much need for historians of the local scene who sense in the life and deeds of less notable figures the stories that undergird a more accurate version of history."On March 27, 1981, Thompson delivered a paper based on this book as the presidential address at the Louisiana Historical Association
annual meeting held in Many
.He had been named the association president in 1980.
Another Thompson work, through Louisiana Tech's McGinty Publications, is Israel Shreve: Revolutionary War Officer, a 100-page biography
of the father of Captain
Henry Miller Shreve
, the namesake of Shreveport
and the man who removed the log jam
of the Red River. Israel Shreve, a Quaker, fought in the American Revolution
.Garnie W. McGinty
, for whom McGinty Publications is named, was Thompson's predecessor as Louisiana Tech history department chairman.
Thompson is also a scholar of the American Civil War
and reflects on how the conflict impacted individual troops: "The American volunteer soldier, entering the battles of the Civil War, faced an entirely different situation [from today's modern soldier]. Ahead lay death from enemy bullets. Behind him plodded a medical bureau inadequately equipped in materiel, spirit, and vision to protect him from destruction by disease."In 1956, he published "The U.S. Sanitary Commission," a study of the forerunner of the American Red Cross
, in the journal Civil War History.In 1958, Civil War History published a second Thompson article, "Sanitary Fairs of the Civil War," a study of fund-raising activities to support the Sanitary Commission.
In 1980, on the basis of "extraordinary service and performance in the areas of teaching, research, and/or service to the campus community and the public sector," Thompson was awarded a Louisiana Tech Foundation professorship through an anonymous vote of his colleagues. There is also an endowed professorship named for Thompson's colleague in the history department, John D. Winters
, author of The Civil War in Louisiana (1963). The William Y. Thompson Endowed Scholarship at Louisiana Tech is named in his honor.
. The couple resided at 1504 Elizabeth Street in Ruston and had two children, Sherard Ellen and Richard Howard Thompson. Thompson now resides in Monroe
in Ouachita Parish
with his second wife, Marie Meade Thompson (born ca. 1936), former wife of the historian Carroll Wade Meade of Tyler
, Texas
, a specialist in ancient history
.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
who was affiliated for most of his academic career, from 1955 through 1988, with Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
at Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
in Lincoln Parish
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. A specialist in the history of his native American South, Thompson served as chairman of the university history department from 1965 until his retirement.
Background
Thompson was born in Baton RougeBaton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, to Henry Howard Thompson and the former Frances Ellzey. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was from 1943-1945 a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, the forerunner of the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. He served in the European Theatre of Operations. During the war, Thompson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
and the Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with three Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
s.
After his military service, Thompson completed his studies at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
at Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, having received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1946. Thereafter, he obtained the Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, a Methodist-affiliated institution in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. From 1950-1955, he was a professor at Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
in Clinton
Clinton, South Carolina
Clinton is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,091 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants two decades before the American Revolutionary...
in Laurens County in northwestern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. While at Presbyterian College, he completed requirements for his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Robert Toombs of Georgia
Thompson's Robert Toombs of Georgia, originally subtitled: The Man Who Almost Became President of the ConfederacyConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, grew from his master's thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
at Emory. The 1966 publication through Louisiana State University Press
Louisiana State University Press
The Louisiana State University Press is a nonprofit book publisher and an academic unit of Louisiana State University. Founded in 1935, the press publishes scholarly, general interest, and regional books as part of the university’s mission to disseminate knowledge and culture...
in Baton Rouge is based on the career of Robert Toombs
Robert Toombs
Robert Augustus Toombs was an American political leader, United States Senator from Georgia, 1st Secretary of State of the Confederacy, and a Confederate general in the Civil War.-Early life:...
(1810-1885) of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, before, during, and after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.Thompson's writing is thorough and documented and emphasizes Toombs as an unrepentant Confederate who refused to take the loyalty oath after 1865 and remained an undisciplined individualist. Thompson recounts how Toombs before his death viewed the election of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
as a vindication of southern virtue.
Other academic achievements
In 1984, Thompson published E.M. Graham: North Louisianian, the study of the little known Evander McNair "Van" Graham, a teacher-turned-attorney who was reared in Alabama but settled in Union ParishUnion Parish, Louisiana
Union Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Farmerville....
. A reviewer of E.M. Graham concludes that there is "much need for historians of the local scene who sense in the life and deeds of less notable figures the stories that undergird a more accurate version of history."On March 27, 1981, Thompson delivered a paper based on this book as the presidential address at the Louisiana Historical Association
Louisiana Historical Association
The Louisiana Historical Association is an organization of professional historians and interested laypersons dedicated to the preservation, publication, and dissemination of the history of the U.S. state of Louisiana, with particular emphasis at the inception on territorial, statehood, and the...
annual meeting held in Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...
.He had been named the association president in 1980.
Another Thompson work, through Louisiana Tech's McGinty Publications, is Israel Shreve: Revolutionary War Officer, a 100-page biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the father of Captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve
Henry Miller Shreve was the American inventor and steamboat captain who opened the Mississippi, Ohio and Red rivers to steamboat navigation. Shreveport, Louisiana, is named in his honor....
, the namesake of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
and the man who removed the log jam
Log jam
A log jam is an accumulation of Large Woody Debris that can span an entire stream or river channel.-Effects on stream/river geomorphology:...
of the Red River. Israel Shreve, a Quaker, fought in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.Garnie W. McGinty
Garnie W. McGinty
Garnie William McGinty was an historian whose career was principally based for thirty-five years at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.-Biography:...
, for whom McGinty Publications is named, was Thompson's predecessor as Louisiana Tech history department chairman.
Thompson is also a scholar of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and reflects on how the conflict impacted individual troops: "The American volunteer soldier, entering the battles of the Civil War, faced an entirely different situation [from today's modern soldier]. Ahead lay death from enemy bullets. Behind him plodded a medical bureau inadequately equipped in materiel, spirit, and vision to protect him from destruction by disease."In 1956, he published "The U.S. Sanitary Commission," a study of the forerunner of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, in the journal Civil War History.In 1958, Civil War History published a second Thompson article, "Sanitary Fairs of the Civil War," a study of fund-raising activities to support the Sanitary Commission.
In 1980, on the basis of "extraordinary service and performance in the areas of teaching, research, and/or service to the campus community and the public sector," Thompson was awarded a Louisiana Tech Foundation professorship through an anonymous vote of his colleagues. There is also an endowed professorship named for Thompson's colleague in the history department, John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...
, author of The Civil War in Louisiana (1963). The William Y. Thompson Endowed Scholarship at Louisiana Tech is named in his honor.
Family
Thompson's first wife, the former Helen Sherard McCarly, whom he married on December 27, 1947, died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. The couple resided at 1504 Elizabeth Street in Ruston and had two children, Sherard Ellen and Richard Howard Thompson. Thompson now resides in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
in Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
with his second wife, Marie Meade Thompson (born ca. 1936), former wife of the historian Carroll Wade Meade of Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, a specialist in ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
.