{"id":169,"date":"2013-01-25T16:24:07","date_gmt":"2013-01-25T21:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/01\/i-75-as-the-governor-melvin-ernest-thompson-memorial-highway.html"},"modified":"2013-01-25T16:24:07","modified_gmt":"2013-01-25T21:24:07","slug":"i-75-as-the-governor-melvin-ernest-thompson-memorial-highway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/01\/i-75-as-the-governor-melvin-ernest-thompson-memorial-highway.html","title":{"rendered":"I-75 as the Governor Melvin Ernest Thompson Memorial Highway?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nDid you know the legislature is likely to rename much of Interstate 75\nthrough Lowndes County in honor of a former governor,\nand spend $4,500 for signs to do so?\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Valdosta Daily Times, Lowndes County\n

\n\nNOTICE OF ROAD FACILITY DEDICATION<\/a>\n<\/h2>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nNotice is given that there will be introduced at the regular 2013\nsession of the General Assembly of Georgia a resolution sponsored by\nSenator Tim Golden, 121 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334, (404)\n656-7580, to dedicate the portion of Interstate 75 in Lowndes County\nfrom the West Hill Avenue exit to the North Valdosta Road exit as\nthe Governor Melvin Ernest Thompson Memorial Highway in honor of his\nachievements, accomplishments, and contributions to Lowndes County\nand to the State of Georgia; and for other purposes. The estimated\ncost of such dedication is $4,500.00.\n<\/p>\n

\n00046038\n<\/p>\n

\n1\/19\/13\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nAnd such a bill has been introduced in the Georgia House (not the Senate) as\n\nHR 47, Governor Melvin Ernest Thompson Memorial Highway; Lowndes County; dedicate<\/a>,\nsponsored by\n(1) Shaw, Jason 176th, (2) Carter, Amy 175th, (3) Black, Ellis 174th,\n(4) Sharper, Dexter 177th, (5) Houston, Penny 170th.\n<\/p>\n

\nHere's the part that ties Gov. Thompson to here:\n<\/p>\n

\nWHEREAS, Governor Thompson was instrumental in the success of the City of\n\n<\/a>\nValdosta and Lowndes County, where his leadership as a founding member of\nthe Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority spearheaded much of the\nurban development and planning for Valdosta and the surrounding areas,\nincluding the Azalea City Industrial Park; and\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nAnd establishing Industrial Parks was a cutting-edge idea: in the 1950s.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe bill adds:\n<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n<\/a>\nWHEREAS, a community leader and advocate, Governor Thompson served as\nchairman of the Education Committee for the Trade School Development\nCommittee, president of the Valdosta Rotary Club, and a member of Kappa\nPhi Kappa, Kappa Delta Phi, WOW, Civitan, and Shriners; and\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nA\n\nwriteup in the VSU Archives<\/a>\nexplains some of that more:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nWhen Thompson finished his state political career he retired to the\ncity of Valdosta, GA. Retirement for Thompson was merely a change of\ncaps from one type of public service for another. M. E. Thompson\nmade significant contributions to the city of Valdosta. He was a\nfounding member of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority\nresponsible for \u201cspearheading\u201d the urban planning and\ndevelopment of much of Valdosta and the surrounding area. The Azalea\nCity Industrial Park was developed while he was a member of the\nValdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority. A street in the Azalea\nCity Industrial Park was named after M. E. Thompson to acknowledge\nhis great contributions to the city of Valdosta. As chairman of the\nEducation Committee for the Trade School Development Committee M. E.\nThompson worked very hard to establish the Valdosta Technical\nCollege in 1961. The real estate business owned by M. E. Thompson\nwas responsible for numerous developments in and around Valdosta\nincluding the building of houses in the Lincoln Park Sub Division\nand the M. E. Thompson Subdivision. M. E. Thompson served as\npresident of the Valdosta Rotary Club from 1959-1960. He also a\nmember of Kappa Phi Kappa, Kappa Delta Phi, WOW, Civitan, Shriners,\na Baptist Sunday School teacher and a Mason. The Boys Club gym was\nnamed \u201cM. E. Thompson\u201d by the Valdosta Rotary Club who\nfunded the building project.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThe full text of\n\nHR 47<\/a> is appended.\n<\/p>\n

\n-jsq\n<\/p>\n

\n

A RESOLUTION<\/h2>\n1\nHonoring the life of Governor Melvin Ernest Thompson and dedicating a road in his\n
\n2\nmemory; and for other purposes.\n
\n
\n3\nWHEREAS, Melvin Ernest Thompson was born on May 1, 1903, in Millen, Georgia, the\n
\n4\nbeloved son of Eva Inez Edenfield Thompson and Henry J. Thompson; and\n
\n
\n5\nWHEREAS, Governor Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University and a\n
\n6\nmaster's degree from the University of Georgia; and\n
\n
\n7\nWHEREAS, he began his career in the field of education as a principal and coach at Emanuel\n
\n8\nCounty Institute, served as superintendent for the Hawkinsville Public School System,\n
\n9\nworked as a state school supervisor and an assistant state superintendent of schools, and\n
\n10\nserved as secretary of the Executive Department under Governor Ellis Arnall; and\n
\n
\n11\nWHEREAS, after a two-year term as the state revenue commissioner, Governor Thompson\n
\n12\nwas elected to this state's highest office in 1947; and\n
\n
\n13\nWHEREAS, during Governor Thompson's tenure as governor, the University of Georgia's\n
\n14\nveterinary medical school and the Georgia Institute of Technology's engineering building\n
\n15\nwere constructed, educators received salary increases, and the state purchased Jekyll Island,\n
\n16\nwhich was turned into a successful, year-round public resort; and\n
\n
\n17\nWHEREAS, Governor Thompson was instrumental in the success of the City of Valdosta\n
\n18\nand Lowndes County, where his leadership as a founding member of the Valdosta-Lowndes\n
\n19\nCounty Industrial Authority spearheaded much of the urban development and planning for\n
\n20\nValdosta and the surrounding areas, including the Azalea City Industrial Park; and\n
\n
\n21\nWHEREAS, a community leader and advocate, Governor Thompson served as chairman of\n
\n22\nthe Education Committee for the Trade School Development Committee, president of the\n
\n23\nValdosta Rotary Club, and a member of Kappa Phi Kappa, Kappa Delta Phi, WOW, Civitan,\n
\n24\nand Shriners; and\n
\n
\n25\nWHEREAS, Governor Thompson was united in love and marriage to his wife, Ann Newton\n
\n26\nThompson, and he was blessed with a remarkable son, Melvin Ernest Thompson, Jr., and five\n
\n27\ngrandchildren; and\n
\n
\n28\nWHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this\n
\n29\nremarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized by naming a road in his\n
\n30\nmemory.\n
\n
\n31\nNOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL\n
\n32\nASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the portion of Interstate 75 in Lowndes County from the\n
\n33\nWest Hill Avenue exit to the North Valdosta Road exit is dedicated as the Governor Melvin\n
\n34\nErnest Thompson Memorial Highway.\n
\n
\n35\nBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and\n
\n36\ndirected to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the Governor Melvin Ernest\n
\n37\nThompson Memorial Highway.\n
\n
\n38\nBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized\n
\n39\nand directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the family of Governor\n
\n40\nMelvin Ernest Thompson and to the Department of Transportation.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n-jsq\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Did you know the legislature is likely to rename much of Interstate 75 through Lowndes County in honor of a former governor, and spend $4,500 for signs to do so? The Valdosta Daily Times, Lowndes County NOTICE OF ROAD FACILITY DEDICATION Notice is given that there will be introduced at the regular 2013 session of […]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[97,40,14,8,2,19,20,22,449,178],"tags":[8736,8717,8704,8701,8699,8709,8702,8710,12,7,806,8712,8767,6,8749],"class_list":["post-169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activism","category-community","category-economy","category-georgia","category-government","category-history","category-law","category-politics","category-transportation","category-vlcia","tag-activism","tag-community","tag-economy","tag-georgia","tag-government","tag-history","tag-lake","tag-law","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-melvin-ernest-thompson","tag-politics","tag-transportation","tag-valdosta","tag-vlcia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-2J","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}