Hide Article Text (OCR)
M!)W GYMNASIUMM IS PEMCATED!• »«• * •“Fighting Parson” Lacy Pays Glowing Tribute to Prank Martin Thompson' as Mrtn, Athlete and Srtldter in Address at State College.Raleigh, June 12. — Tributes to Prank Martin Thompson, of Raleigh, a men. ;,,j ami » aoidiwere paid yesterday by the Rev. Ben R. Lacy, Jr., pastor of the Central Presbyterian church of Atlanta, delivering the principal nddvess at the dedication by the North Carolina State College* of Agriculture and Engineering; of a gymnasium bearing bis ngmc. Mr. Lacy, a son of State Treasurer B. R. Lacy, of Raleigh, spoke on. , Frgpk Thompson, ap he1 new hm\ 5 Thp new memoriul gymnasium was erected at n.eost ,oF $24,5,009, and issc id to be one of the finest college gymnasiums..in America. .The dedicatory'exercises yesterday .wove preceded by the annual luncheon of the State-College Alumni Association.Speaking first as a class mate of iho famous athlete, who was both a baseball and a football star on the institution teams, and also ns- chaplain of the division in which Thompson made the supreme sacrfice at Regcnvillc, France, in the World War, the “Fighting Parson,’ as he was. referred to by members . of the Fifth division, revealed the traits of Thompson in the sporting world and his heroism on the field of battle. He declared it was fitting hat the college should have built a gymnasium os a memorial to him.“I doubt,” said Mr. L»ncy, referring to Frank Thompson, “if any living person can ever recall a conscious or unconscious effort that our hero evci made to be a hero.”Speaking of Thompson as an athlete. Mr. Lacy declared: '“He was the athlete sans pareil of his day in Raleigh. He was the valiant tackle and the catcher at Davidson College the same year. His coach4 ing placed many a. team of a sistercollege -in the forefront. It is a. fit-ting thing that a gymnasium in the United States of America should bear his name. • l-Tis country called and he early heard her voice. For her he became ns valiant a soldier as he had ever been an athlete and as efficient an officer as he had ever been a captain or coach. He gave his life for her.“It is hard for me to make this address,” continued the minister. I shall cither speak under too great self - control and you will not gel the real idoa of Frank Thompson, of I shall give way to my love and you will think I am exaggerating. Perhaps you have come to hear from mesromo well-studied rfhrases. makine*
Newspaper Details
Statesville Landmark
Statesville, North Carolina, US
Mon, Jun 15, 1925
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Library O.
NC, USA 10 Sep 2018
Other Publications Near Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville Record and Landmark
Statesville Record
Statesville Landmark
Statesville Daily Record
