Willie Jay Thompson Collection
Title
Willie Jay Thompson Collection
Subject
Thompson, Willie Jay, 1938-2020
Florida-East Stuart
Florida-Stuart
African Americans
Race relations
Racism
Description
Text written or compiled by Willie Jay Thompson. Chiefly focused on the history of the East Stuart community.
Willie Jay Thompson (3 December 1938 – 28 March 2020) graduated from Stuart Training School in Stuart, Florida in 1956. He played tuba in the school’s marching band. Attending Florida A&M on a scholarship, Thompson studied theater and music. After graduation, he taught music in the Okeechobee County School System for three years before transferring to Booker Park Elementary School in Indiantown. After teaching there and at several other schools, he began teaching at Palm City Elementary in 1966, along with his wife, Agnes Washington Thompson (1936-1996). There, his skill for inspiring students came to fruition. He integrated art and drama in his regular classes and organized operettas and other theatrical performances. His work was recognized by the community with several awards, including the “Outstanding Young Educator of the Year” by the Stuart-Jensen Jaycees in 1972, and “Martin County Teacher of the Year” in 1987 by the Martin County’s Association of School Administrators.
Thompson was the founder of the East Stuart Community Choir in 1966, which consisted chiefly of African-American juniors and seniors in Martin County High Schools. The choir performed to great acclaim and toured the Bahamas, Jamaica, Washington DC, Atlanta, and south Florida. After disbanding in the late 1970s, the members reunited several times for performances.
Thompson was devoted to sharing the history of the Black communities of Martin County, collecting stories, writing histories, and giving presentations.
Willie Jay Thompson (3 December 1938 – 28 March 2020) graduated from Stuart Training School in Stuart, Florida in 1956. He played tuba in the school’s marching band. Attending Florida A&M on a scholarship, Thompson studied theater and music. After graduation, he taught music in the Okeechobee County School System for three years before transferring to Booker Park Elementary School in Indiantown. After teaching there and at several other schools, he began teaching at Palm City Elementary in 1966, along with his wife, Agnes Washington Thompson (1936-1996). There, his skill for inspiring students came to fruition. He integrated art and drama in his regular classes and organized operettas and other theatrical performances. His work was recognized by the community with several awards, including the “Outstanding Young Educator of the Year” by the Stuart-Jensen Jaycees in 1972, and “Martin County Teacher of the Year” in 1987 by the Martin County’s Association of School Administrators.
Thompson was the founder of the East Stuart Community Choir in 1966, which consisted chiefly of African-American juniors and seniors in Martin County High Schools. The choir performed to great acclaim and toured the Bahamas, Jamaica, Washington DC, Atlanta, and south Florida. After disbanding in the late 1970s, the members reunited several times for performances.
Thompson was devoted to sharing the history of the Black communities of Martin County, collecting stories, writing histories, and giving presentations.
Creator
Willie Jay Thompson (1938-2020)
Contributor
Sandra Thurlow
Stuart Heritage Museum
