Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-02-28

Messrs. Bagby and Company in the
Fubllcatlon Of the "lndianapolis Lead
er the first Negro journalistic ven
'ore launched in tho IIOosicr Stat,
ana, later on, when Il typographjcm
"n'llt Was purchased. mastered the
'raHc OF printing. Taking as natural
10 newspaper work as a duck 10 wotcr
ne made himself an indispcnsablc fac
tor OF The Leader" staff and NJ soy
chtccn waS City Editor" Al the same
'Iin". III connection with his school du
TIES. he kept books for Or. f. " For
rs, Secretary of The Marion Countv
Board OF Health. When the "lndianon
oils World" was launched bv Mcsssrs
Cooper. Ham. Chri$ty aud others, Mr,
thompson t0ok charge OF the Citv Do
partm"nt ami at different times dur
ihE tn" palmy days OF that sheet. held
nearly every position on il from com
poSlt"f to Foreman of the mcchani.
cal department aud later. Manarinr
Editor. lie had been fortunate in th,
matter of official rccOrnition; at the
axe OF fifteen during he session OF the
ihu1ana Legislature which elected
f"hlamn Harrison Senator he served
rs rage being the first cn'orrd boy
- appointed After attaining his ma
J"fltN, n" was named by Hon Thom.
a la"rart as Il clerk in the County
AUTHORS oNicr, and in 1855. throu"h
III" same lnHrumcntIlity and n civ
i ScfNlc" rNaminat ion in which he
I"i Il class of $"vcrty-fivc whites. hr
was gwen a hcttcr-payin% position of
i''trr carrier. In 1884 no WAS anpoint
"d clerk In the Government Print
| ing O"jcc al Wa&hn"tun. y. G. hoi,r
the first ""lorcd man To hold n clcri-
cal rC"ftj"n N that great prfntiny
| 80 tnhliShmcnt.
| AS Managing Editor Of the "Wash
| inEton Fo!orcd American" he won
| national fame; he WAS a graceful md
| forcihlr writer. Il clear and couro~c..
| Gu" thinker upon all questions that
| clcct the Ncgro's social politica,
ana industrial development. He led,
rather than followed public scnti.
mcnt and whenever he took n naud
| upon any Issue, 1t generally met tho
| hearty endorsement OF the race ana
| WIS accepted aa the expression of the
best thought and purpose OF our Uro
!! pie.
| AZ spicy paragraphcr, originator
or taxing features and keen obserp-
er or popular taste, he had few EQUALS
ana no superior In the army OF Negro
! journalists OF this country. Mr.. Thcmp
aon served for n time IN the office Of
the Recorder OF Deeds under MIR. II.
+. Cheatham; also served rs Pnblicf
| ty Clerk In the office of DR.. Emmett
| J. Scott, Special Assistant to the See
retary OF War. where he rendered
most efficient service during the Great
| world War. and. at the time Of his
death. was holding clerical position
IN the Once OF the Adjutant General
| OF the Army tTenth Street Branch,
! Old Ford Theatre Buildng.)
He was for a time President OF the
National Negro Press Association and
carried to successful issue the idea
or Nation Negro News Bureau, hav
| ing ior some wears past conducted
| I"FhompSon' News Bureau" at Wash
| lngton. ID. C.~-his weekly letters pub
| ltShcd in various Negro newspapers
being eagerly read by thousands OF
| readers
| Ii was largely through his inilu-
cntc ana effort that the National Ne
! gro Pies Association was organized
at the Louisville, Ky, session Of the
National Negro Business League
both Of which organizations have
been greatly benefited and promoted
by his forccful pen. He was for years
Publicity Agent for mlskcgcc mStt
tute and was the first to refer to
Booker II Washington as "Thc Wiz
ard OF Tnskcgcc. His public spirit
and keen interest in tho welfare OF
I hi, h,.., ~ l. f,,l
touch with nearly all the leading
Negro organizations In America. be
Ing at one time Secretary OF the Nat
ional Afro-America Council, Identified
officially with several OF the literary
/ I,yceums with which Washington
| abounded: detailed by the Y. S. Gov
| crnment to serve in connection with
the Negro Exhibits at Jamestown FIX
position: and frequently engaged &c
exploit Educational, fraternal. and
business enterprises. So devoted wac
he to newspaper work that he called
for tn" latest journals the day before
his fatal operation and. az he often
said. reading newspapers was, with
him. ruling passion strong IN
! DEATH
His earthly career Of 81 years
so uscfn' and inspiring, is ended
yet eh"'l he livc' for his wclld!rcct
ed efforts have done much TO give char
actcr and dignity to tho Negro Race
In America and the world.
(Cont~:hrI"' w Wil,iam H. Davis
| Nowsponcr C"rr"r" "nn"ort ard Official
| Stcnorrrnl,o,. ~" ~ = 'i1n1l Negro
/ RuSin,cc pngnpf