A tireless advocate for her constituents and the city as a whole, Thompson,
who is now 91, has been a pioneer in Anderson, from even before her
election as the first African-American to serve on Anderson City Council in
1976. She also spearheaded efforts to move from all at-large seats on city
council to election by districts for better representation.
For more than half a century Thompson has had a long-standing and
influential voice in local government and as president of the South
Carolina Municipal Association.
