Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-06
COL. THOMPSON,
SPORTSMAN, DIES
STR
n
Ex-PreSident of American
Olympic Committee Expires
at Ticonderoga.

, organizer of the Navy League, died
. Yesterday IN Ticonderoga, N. Y, at
home of his daughter, Mrs. Stephen H
Pell. He was 81 years old and had been
III for some time.
. He had been visiting various Eu-
ropean health resorts and returned to
this country three days age especially
to attend the America Cup races. He
and Sir Thomas Upton were good
( friends.
Funeral services will be held at st.
/, Mary's Church, Portsmouth, r. J., at
O'Clock Monday afternoon with
burial there
. Sportsman and Clubman.
Col. Thompson was widely known
among local sportSmen and clubmen,
having served for several years as preSi-
) dent of the National Capital Horse
! Show Association and being member
. of the Metropolitan and Army and
, Navy Clubs here. Until few years
ago he frequently rode his horses in the
shows staged by the horse show aSso-
d, citation and was often seen on the
, bride paths around Washington. The
3 functions of the National Capital Horse
( Show Association recently were taken
over by the Washington Riding and
{ Hunt Club, of which he also was
member.
!. A member of the class of 1868 at the
f. Naval Academy, Col. Thompson was
graduated tenth in his class. Since
then his widely manifested interest IN
athletics and other affairs of the acad-
emy had made his name dear to the
hearts of the many graduates OF that
institution tt was through his active
interest and aid in the promotion OF the
academy welfare and athletic interests
that he became known as the patron
saint"
Col Thompson was internationally
known for his work on the American
Olympic committee, which supervised
the work of the American athletes in
the Olympic games, which he several
times had served as chairman. And
at the time of his death he was homo
rary president of the Navy League OF
the United States.
Born in Pennsylvania.
Born in Corsica Pa, March 2, l849,
Col. THOMPSON received his early edu-
cation in the public schools and at an
academy at Elders Ridge, Indiana
County, Pa. Unexpectedly, at the age
of is years he was appointed to the
United States Naval Academy, then To-
Gated at Newport, r. /. His first sea
service following graduation was on the
Contocook, in the West Indian squad
ron. Afterward he served on the
u. S. s. Franklin. Richmond and Guard
in the Mediterranean squadron, on the
Waucheset and at the torpedo station
at Newport. He was commissioned an
ensign IN 1859 and master year later.
He resigned from the Navy, however, In
1870, to study law, and after being ad-
mitted to the bar entered the law ONCE
of his brother, A. C.. Thompson, in
Portsmouth. Later, wishing to acquire
greater knowledge OF law, he entered
the Harvard Law School and was grad
uated in the class of 1874.
After his graduation from Harvard he
began the practice of law in Boston and
became a reporter Of the State Supreme
Court in that city. He was made o
member Of the Common Council OF
Boston in 1876, and served again the
following year. when he became chair
man of the young Republican commit
tee, conducting the campaign in which
: Thomas Talbot was elected governor
over Benjamin F. Butler.
+, Practiced Law in Boston.
While practicing law in Boston, Col.
Thompson was retained to investigate
the titles of certain mining properties
near Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, and
afterward accepted the management of
the company organized to work the
mines on the property named. This
company became the Oxford Copper Co.,
which erected smelling and refining
works In Bayonne, N. j. Because of
his knowledge Of chemistry, Col Thomp-
son took an active part in the manage
ment Of the companys plant, and to
him was attributed the perfecting of
means for separating copper from nickel
in the ores obtained in the mines near
Copper Cliff, Ontario.
The International Nickel Co. later
took over the company of which Col
Thompson was president, and he be-
came chairman of the board of d.
rectors.
These and other interests brought
Col. Thompson financial success. It
was his belief, however that wealth
carried with it duty, his friends say,
and he is quoted as often having said
that he hoped so to live that when he
died many would regret him and no
one wor1d feel glad that he had gone.
Was Generous Giver.
Following his ideas along the line
mentioned, Col. Thompson became
known as a generous giver to charity.
He was member of various societies
and had many honors conferred upon
him.
He was president Of the Pennsyl-
vania Society of New York in 1911,
when the society gave the william Penn
dinner in London and during which
year the Penn Memorial was dedicated
in the Church of AL Hallows.
Always a great traveller, he belonged
TO the Ends Of the Earth Club of New
York." the qualifications for member
ship in which are that the applicant
must have circled the globe He had
visited all OF the principal cities in the
world.
He acquired the title of colonel dur
fFlO the A
ing appointed chief of staff by the
Governor of New Jersey.
Col Thompson had had conferred
upon him the Order of the Rising
SUM-" second class by the Emperor of
Japan, an honor which was reserved
for men of great achievement.
Besides his club Affiliations in this
city, Col. thompson was a member of
the American Geographical Society,
American Archaeological Society, the
Pennsylvania Society of New York, of
which he was president in 1911; the
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
Society, the Loyal Legion, also the Uni
Versity, Army and Navy Century Met
ropolitan, Lawyers, New York Athletic
ana Players Club of New York. He
also belonged to the Meadow, South
ampton, National Golf Links of Amer
lea and the Shinnecock Golf Clubs OF
southampton, Long Island
Married Miss Sarah Gibbs.
He was married in 1873 to Miss Sarah
Gibbs, daughter Of William Charming
Gibbs, former Governor of Rhode
Island. she died several years ago.
He leaves a daughter, Mrs. Stephen
H. p. Pell, and a niece, Miss Hilda
Sykes.
Col. Thompson formerly lived in the
old Ellis house on Sheridan circle, now
the Rumanian legation. He afterward
resided at Eighteenth and r streets.