Drury University’s current mission statement states that “an education at Drury seeks to liberate persons to participate responsibly in and contribute to life in a global community.” Listed among the objectives of the Drury Athletic Department, which was adopted in 1989, is the statement that Drury student-athletes are to graduate and are prepared “for the competitive and stressful aspects of life.” In 2005 the NCAA-II initiated a comprehensive study and defined its approach and characteristics for college athletics. Included in this “Life in the Balance” initiative was a service attribute which states that the NCAA-II aims to “provide the development of positive societal attitudes in service to community.” While these three documents were written separately after the he graduated from Drury University, they in concert with each other, describe perfectly the essence of George Thompson III, who today is being inducted into the Drury Sports Hall of Fame in the category of Lifetime Achievement.
A business administration and economics major, George Thompson III graduated from Drury on May 31, 1970. Upon his arrival at Drury he played both basketball and golf, but after one year of being a two-sport athlete he dedicated his time and talent to his academic pursuits; to his campus community efforts (he was an active member of the Lambda Chi Fraternity); and, to help the Drury golf team be a nationally-competitive program. He was successful on all three counts. He graduated with honors; he was a campus leader; and, he was four-year letterman who helped his Drury teams to four straight MCAU (Missouri Collegiate Athletic Union) titles and two NAIA national tournaments. The 1968 Panther team finsihed 22nd in the nation and the 1969 team finished its season ranked 25th.
But George’s relationship with Drury, the city of Springfield and the entire southwest Missouri area, did not end at the conclusion of his college career. In fact, it was just beginning. Over the last 40 years what he, his family and his business (Thompson Sales Company) have done for so many has been incredible. There is no way to list everything, but a fraction of what George Thompson is all about can be found in the following.
First, because of his talents as a businessman his family-owned business, which has served Springfield and southwest Missouri since 1919, continues to enjoy tremendous success thus enabling his company to assist so many: the American Cancer Society (both of his parents died of cancer); the Crosslines Christmas Fund, which serves the needy throughout the area; Toys-For-Tots; the area high school Project Graduation programs, to list just a few. Thompson Sales Company has also donated over $1 million dollars over the last 20 years to the annual Price Cutter Charity Golf Classic, the largest charity-based fundraising venture in southwest Missouri. His company has provided vehicles to Drury, Missouri State and Evangel over the years...and the list goes on and on.
George has been a member of the Drury Board of Trustees since 2004 and is currently on the Athletic Committee and the CGCS (College of Graduate and Continuing Studies) Committee of the Board. Over his eight-year tenure he has served and/or chaired other committees of the Board of Trustees, including the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee, the Technology Committee and the Campus Operations and Sustainability Committee. His donation of time, talent and more have helped make such projects as the Trustee Science Center and the O’Reilly Family Event Center a reality.
The co-dealer principal for Thompson Sales Company, a dealer of Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Saab automobiles in Springfield, Missouri. He has served on the Regional Pontiac Advisors Committee and on the Cadillac National Advisors Board. He was a member of the General Motors Fixed Operations Board and chairman of the national policy committee. He also has served as vice-chairman of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Board, and was a member of the boards of the YMCA, the Girls Club, Hickory Hills Country Club, the Missouri Golf Association and the Missouri Auto Dealers Association. George was also a member of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association board’s executive committee, and served as the organization’s president in 1998.
George and Lyn, his wife, have two children, Miles (Drury class of ’94) and Emily, who is director of Drury’s Transitional and First Year Experience programs.
Few Drury student-athletes have made such a difference in the lives of so many. For all that George Thompson III has done for southwest Missouri, for the city of Springfield, for Drury University athletics and as a whole and for the entire Thompson family he is enshrined as a member of the Class of 2011 on this date: November 19, 2011.
