A Legacies and Lunch program titled "The Too-Brief Life of Roosevelt Thompson" will be held Wednesday at the Central Arkansas Library System's Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.
This year is the 35th anniversary of Roosevelt Thompson's graduation from Little Rock's Central High School, where he was student body president, an all-star football player and a National Merit Scholar. Thompson went on to attend Yale University, which has established a prestigious prize in his honor. While at Yale, he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar.
Thompson's life was cut short by an automobile accident in 1984. The Legacies and Lunch program will remember him with footage featuring Thompson, Bill and Hillary Clinton and others.
A panel, including Elaine Dumas, one of his teachers and mentors; Lee Thompson, his brother; and Beth Felton, his classmate at Central High School and a staff member at the CALS Roosevelt Thompson Branch Library, will discuss how his memory lives on.
After the discussion, attendees may share memories and ask questions. Later, all are invited to send their thoughts to [email protected].
Those attending the noon event sponsored in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council are welcome to bring a sack lunch; drinks and dessert are provided. Seats can be reserved by emailing [email protected] or by calling (501) 683-5239.
State Desk on 05/29/2015