George Hyman Thompson was born on June 22, 1923 in Tylertown, Mississippi. He graduated from Little Rock High School, better known today as Little Rock Central High School. He was a World War II veteran and served in the Army Air Forces. Thompson graduated from Hendrix College in 1948 and 1949 and earned two bachelors degrees in business and history. He received a Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1952 and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in American History in 1968.
Dr. Thompson joined the Hendrix College faculty in 1952 and taught there until he retired in 1993. He was named the Elbert L. Fausett Distinguished Professor of History in 1980. According to his obituary, “His dissertation was published as the book, Arkansas and Reconstruction. In addition to teaching history over four decades, he was enthusiastic about teaching a survey of political thought through “Individual and Society,” and his creation of “Sophomore Readings,” a rigorous course for students nominated by the faculty.”‘
Dr. Thompson created a reading list for his students, and that information is contained in his collection. The finding aid for the Dr. George Thompson Collection is a guide for any professor to consult or follow that is teaching upper division American history courses.
File 1- The Bobbs– Merrill Reprint Series in History, Reprinted from The American Historical Review and Others Vol. 1 1607-1781
File 2- The Bobbs– Merrill Reprint Series in History, Reprinted from The American Historical Review and Others Vol. II 1781-1865
File 3- The Bobbs– Merrill Reprint Series in History, Reprinted from The American Historical Review and Others Vol. III Civil War Reconstruction
File 4- The Bobbs– Merrill Reprint Series in History, Reprinted from The American Historical Review and Others Vol. IV 1865-1916
File 5- “The Emergence of Modern America” 1876- (Copied 2005)
File 6- Pamphlet- “Ideas of The Progressive Era 1875-1900” A Source Pamphlet in American Intellectual History Edited by Gilman M. Ostyander (78 pages)
File 7- Pamphlet- “Western Civilization at the University of Chicago” An Introduction for Teachers by Eric Cochrane- 1986 General Editors John W. Boyer and Julius Kirshner
File 8- Historiography: Aids and Readings- History 300 Compiled under the direction of Joann McMillen- reference librarian, Olen C. Bailey Library, Hendrix College Sept 1990 (52 pages)
File 9- The Power of Green: What does America need to regain its global stature? Environmental leadership. By Thomas L. Friedman. (Copied from The New York Times Magazine, April 15, 2007)
File 10- 1- 26 ½ X 38” Map- West Indies and Central America Compiled and drawn by National Geographic Society- 1970
File 11- Copied (pages 9-24) Introduction to Vol. III The Shaping of America by Page Smith New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
File 12- Book List for Social Science Course and Other Miscellaneous papers
End of Box 1
Box 2
Book Pre 1- Topical Classification of American History
Book I- Historiography.
Chapter I: The Establishment of American Colonies
Chapter II: The North American Colonies in the 18th Century
Chapter III: The American Revolution
Chapter IV: Federalists, Republicans
Chapter V: The Jacksonian Democracy
Book 1- Chapter 1: Colonial America ?-1492
Chapter II: The Century of Discovery 1492-1615
Chapter III: First Foundations 1600-1660
Book 2- Chapter IV: The Empire Comes of Age 1660-1713
Chapter V: A Half-Century of Expansion 1713-1763
Book 3- Chapter VI: Liberty & Empire 1763-1770
Chapter VII: Reform and Resistance 1763-1766
Chapter VIII: Crisis, Calm, and Crisis Again 1763-1766
Chapter IX: The Revolution Precipitated 1775-1777
Book 4- Chapter X: The War of Independence 1775-1777
Chapter XI: The War of Independence 1778-1783
Chapter XII: From Colony to Common Wealth 1775-1782
Book 5- Chapter XIII: The Confederation 1781-1789
Chapter XIV: The Federal Convention and Constitution 1786-1788
Chapter XV: The United States in 1790
Book 6- Chapter XVI: Washington’s First Administration 1789-1793
Chapter XVII: Washington’s Second and Stormy Administration 1793-1797
Chapter XVIII: John Adam’s Administration 1797-1801
Book 7- Chapter XIX: Jefferson’s Administration 1801-1809
Chapter XX: The Second War with Great Britain 1809-1815
Chapter XXI: Good Feelings and Bad 1815-1823
End of Box 2
Box 3
Book 8- Chapter XXII: Monroe and J. Q. Adams 1817-1829
Chapter XXIII: Andrew Jackson 1829-1837
Chapter XXIV: The Northern States 1820-1850
Book 9- Chapter XXV: The Southern States 1820-1850
Chapter XXVI: Ferment in The North 1820- 1850
Chapter XXVII: Democrats and Whigs 1837-1844
Book 10- Chapter XXVIII-XXX
Book 11- Chapter XXXI: Young America 1850-1854
Chapter XXXII: The Kansas Prelude 1854-1859
Book 12- Chapter XXXIV: Lincoln, Secession, and Civil War 1860-1861
Chapter XXXV: Conditions & Considerations 1861-1865
Chapter XXXVI: The War in 1861
Book 13- Chapter XXXVII: The War in 1862
Chapter XXXIII: Behind the Lines 1861-1865
Chapter XXXIX: From Vicksburg to Appomattox 1863-1865
Book 14- Chapter I: The Aftermath of War
Chapter II: Reconstruction, Political, and Constitutional 1865-1877
Chapter III: Politics of The Grant Administration 1868-1877
Book 15- Chapter IV: The Negro and The New South 1865-1890
Chapter V: The American Mind During The Reconstruction Years 1865-1877
Chapter VI: The Passing of the Frontier 1865-1890
Chapter VII: Transportation and Its Control 1865-1900
Chapter VIII: The Economic Revolution 1865-1914
Chapter IX: Labor 1865-1920
Chapter X: Immigration 1865-1917
Chapter XI: Agriculture and the Farm Problem 1860- 1896
Chapter XII: Politics 1877-1890
Book 16- Chapter XIII: The Battle of The Standards 1890-1897
Chapter XIV: Philosophy, Arts and Letters 1877-1910
Chapter XV: Imperialism and World Power 1876-1900
End of Box 3
Box 4
Book 17- Chapter XVI: The Progressive Movement 1890-1917
Chapter XVII: The reign of Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
Chapter XVIII: The Taft Administration 1909-1913
Book 18- Chapter XIX: The New Freedom 1913-1917
Chapter XX: The Road to War 1914-1917
Chapter XXI: War and Peace 1917-1920
Book 19- Chapter XXII: World Politics 1920-1933
Chapter XXIII: “Normalcy” and Reaction 1921-1933
Chapter XXIV: American Society Between Wars 1920-1940
Book 20- Chapter XXV: The New Deal 1932-1936
Chapter XXVI: Domestic Issues of the Second Administration 1936-1941
Chapter XXVII: Gathering Storm 1933-1941
Book 21- Chapter XXVIII: World War II: The Defensive Phase 1941-1942
Chapter XXIX: First Offensives, West and East April 1943- July 1944
Chapter XXX: Victory in Europe and in The Pacific 1944-1945
Book 22- Chapter XXXI: A Fair Deal 1945-1952
Chapter XXXII: The Cold War 1945-1952
Book 23- Chapter XXXIII: The Eisenhower Administration 1953-1960
Chapter XXIV: World Power in the Nuclear Age 1953-1960
Book 24- Chapter XXXI: Domestic Issues of the Truman Administration 1945-1952
Chapter XXXII: World Power 1945-1952
Chapter XXXIII: Society and Culture in the Post War Years 1945-1961
Chapter XXXIV: Politics and Policies of Eisenhower Administration 1953-1960
Chapter XXXV: World Power in The Nuclear Age 1953-1962
Book 25- Chapter XXXV: Society and Culture in Modern America 1941-1968
Chapter XXXVI: John F. Kennedy and The New Frontier 1960-1963
Chapter XXXVII: The Great Society at War 1963-1968
End of Box 4
Box 5
Book 1- Teaching and Reading Guide for American History
Book 2- Teaching and Reading Guide for:
I: Colonial America
II: American Revolution 1763-1789
III: History of Southern Civilization
Book 3- Teaching and Reading Guide Columbia University 1973 “American Intellectual History”
End of Box 5
Box 6
Book I- Teaching and Reading Guide- “Religion and Civilization”
Book II- Teaching and Reading Guide “Civilization”
Book III- Teaching and Reading Guide “World History”
End of Box 6
Box 7
File 1 – Dr. George Thompson’s personal papers – 1979
File 2 – Newspaper clipping – “Dr. Matt Ellis: Out of retirement, back in the classroom”- Log Cabin Democrat – February 9th, 1979
File 3 – Information on Dr. Henry Steel Commager – October 1978 (letter, newspaper clipping & resume)
File 4 – National Endowment for the Humanities Material – August 9, 1979
File 5 – Reading list and class outline
File 6 – Emory University Special Collection – Reconstruction and Sherman’s March to the Sea
File 7 – “Book Reviews: Selected Sources for Locating Reviews of Books Relative to American History” – Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Department, Robert W. Woodruff Library for Advanced Studies – October 1978
File 8 – Seminar Paper – “Free Blacks in the Antebellum South” by William A Doran, Emory University, Directed by Bell I. Wiley, Phd., 1979
File 9 – Book (copied) – Free Negro Owners of Slaves in the United States in 1830: Together with Absentee Ownership of Slaves in the United States in 1830 by Carter Woodson, 1924
File 10 – Seminar Paper – “Free Negro Slaveholding in the Old South” by Ken Durham – Presented to Professor Bell I. Wiley and the 1979 N.E.H. Seminar at Emory University
File 11 – Book (copied) – pages 156-164 – Rank and File (Chapter IX-“Bibliography of Bell Irvin Wiley”-compiled by John Porter Bloom) – 2 copies
File 12 – Pre-civil war cruelty to slaves – 1851-1859
File 13 – The reissue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper – No. 341, Vol. 15 – New York, May 10, 1862 – page 34-48
File 14 – “A guide to Manuscript Sources in the Special Collections Department for Atlanta, Georgia” – Robert W. Woodruff Library for Advanced Studies Special Collections Department – Emory University – May 29, 1978 (40 pages)
File 15 – Book (copied) – Historical Papers of the Trinity College Historical Society – Series XXIV – “The Road from Monticello: A Study of the Virginia Slavery Debate of 1832” – by Joseph Clarke Robert – 1941
File 16 – Book – Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro slavery by Robert William Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman – 1974 (including Thompsons outline)
File 17 – Book – Time on the Cross: Evidence and Methods – A Supplement by Robert William Cross and Stanley L. Engerman – 1974
File 18 – Executive and congressional directory of the confederate states, 1861-1865 (compiled from official records) – Record and Pension Office, 1899
File 19 – Reconstruction sympathy of former Illinois (Union) soldiers with plight of Blackshear, Georgia friend during reconstruction, Oct. 6, 1869
File 20 – Civil War letters from Arkansas Congressmen J.I. Batson, D.W. Carroll, T.B. Hanly, A.H. Garland, R.K. Garland, R.W. Johnson and Grandison D. Royston – 1861-1864
File 21 – Civil War letters (11) from David L. Anderson, Confederate soldier
File 22 – Civil War – Union soldier’s diary – 2nd lieutenant Smith G. Bailey (122 pages) – Courtesy of Professor Bell I. Wiley, Emory University
File 23 – Civil War letters – South Carolina Congressmen Robert W. Barnwell and James L. Orr – 1861-1865
File 24 – Civil War letters – Union soldier, William G. Baugh from Massillon, Ohio – 1864-1865
File 25 – Civil War letters – Robert J. Breckenridge – 1862-1863
File 26 – Civil War letter – H.C. Burnett to Secretary of War Hon. G.W. Randolph, Richmond, VA – 1862
End of Box 7
Box 8
File 1 – Civil War letters from A.T. Caperton – 1861, 1864
File 2 – Civil War letters (24) from Adrian B. Carruth, Surgeon’s Assistant
File 3 – Civil War letters from Congressman Howell Cobb to wife – February 20, 1861-February 18, 1862
File 4 – Civil War letters from Congressman Howell Cobb to other officials
File 5 – Civil War letters from Union Soldier George C. Curtis to his dad
File 6 – Civil War letters from Confederate soldier William Duncan Cole – Sheffield, Alabama – 1862-64
File 7 – Civil War letters from North Carolina Senator W.T. Dortch – 1863-1864
File 8 – Civil War letters from Confederate Soldier William M. Edmonds (from Emory University Archives)
File 9 – Civil War letters from Lt. Ephram L. Girdner Co. H. 66th Indiana Regiment to his sweetheart, Molley (courtesy of Professor Wiley)
File 10 – Civil War letters from Tennessee Congressman, Gus A. Henry – 1862, 1864
File 11 – Civil War letters from Senator Benjamin H. Hill of Georgia
File 12 – Civil War letters from Confederate soldiers to Dr. T.H. Howard
File 13 – Civil War letters from R.M.T. Hunter – 1861-1865
File 14 – Civil War letters – Congressman Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia – 1861-1864
File 15 – Civil War letters from Louisiana and Texas Congressmen W.S. Oldham and Edward Sparrow – 1861-1863
File 16 – Civil War letters from confederate soldier Joseph W. Manley – 1862-1864
File 17 – Civil War letters from C.G. Memminger (Secretary of Treasury in the Confederate States of America, Treasury Department (Richmond, August 26th, 1862) to Hon. A.H. Stephens, Vice President C.S.A.
File 18 – Civil War letters from Union soldier W.E. Merritt (Courtesy of Prof. Bell I. Wiley)
File 19 – Civil War letters from Mississippi Congressmen A.G. Brown and John W.C. Watson – 1861-1865
File 20 – Civil War letters from Col. C.H. Olmstead to his superior giving reasons for surrender – April 12, 1862
File 21 – Civil War letters from Issac Jefferson Pennington to Mary M. Pennington – 1862
File 22 – Civil War letters from R.B. Rhett – 1861-1862
End of Box 8
Box 9
File 1 – Civil War letters from W.E. Sims to other officials – 1863
File 2 – Civil War letters from G.W. Smith (Maj. Gen. Comdg.) – 1861-1864
File 3 – Civil War letters from Confederate soldier William M. Stanley to his wife, Mary – June 1863-July 1864
File 4 – Civil War letters from Private Charles L. Stephens – 2nd Mississippi Calvary (nephew of Lewis Stephens)
File 5 – Civil War letters from for Cicero W. Stephens, Private in Co. K., 35th Mississippi Regiment (Son of Lewis Stephens) – 1863-1865
File 6 – Civil War letters from Confederate soldier Hubert A. Stephens, private in Co. H., 11th Mississippi Regiment (Son of Lewis Stephens) – 1863-1864 (Courtesy of Professor Bell I. Wiley
File 7 – Civil War letters from Charles F. Taylor – Pennsylvania Bucktail Regiment (killed Gettysburg, brother of Bayard Taylor) (Courtesy of Professor Bell I. Wiley)
File 8 – Journal of W.L. Trask “The Georgia Campaign of 1864” (from Emory University)
File 9 – Civil War letters from Union Naval Commander U.S.S. Minnesota, Captain G.J. Van Brint, Commander – Frigate, Minnesota – March 10, 12, 1862
File 10 – Civil War letters from Confederate Congressman R.W. Walker – 1861 & 1864
File 11 – Civil War letters from Jasper W. Ward – 1861
File 12 – Civil War letters from Alabama Senator W.L. Yancey – 1862-1863
File 13 – Civil War letters from President Jefferson Davis to W.L. Yancey, Alabama Senator and others – 1862-1863
File 14 – Civil War letters from Confederate and Union soldiers (courtesy of Prof. Bell I. Wiley)
File 15 – Civil War letters from Union soldiers, others, miscellaneous
File 16 – Civil War letters and miscellaneous papers – 1861-1865 and undated
File 17 – “A Historian Predicts: Intermarriage of the Races will be Inevitable” and “Less Integration in the Nation’s Capital” – US News & World Report – Nov. 14, 1958
File 18 – “The Secret of Lincoln’s Greatness” – The Sunday Denver Post – Feb. 8. 1959
End of Box 9
Box 10 – Teaching materials
Item 1 – Binder – US History Vol. I
Item 2 – Binder – US History Vol. II
Item 3 – Binder – US History Vol. III
End of Box 10
End of Collection