You do it because you want to honor the contributions they’ve been able to make to Wisconsin and to education, and you want to honor the education they received at the University.

Jim Thompson

A Boost for School Leaders – In Honor of School Leaders

It’s a long way from one-room schoolhouses to the corridors of power at the Wisconsin state Capitol. Barbara Thompson (’59 MS EDU, ’69 PhD EDU) made that improbable journey as the first woman elected state superintendent of public instruction in 1973.

Her late husband, Glenn (’60 MS EDU, ’69 PhD EDU), also was an educator who made an impact as a teacher, principal, superintendent of schools in Waukesha County and Cooperative Educational Service Agency administrator.
Former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Barbara Thompson speaks with ELPA faculty member Jim Shaw.
Their son Jim Thompson (’73 BS ALS) and his wife, Georgia, have saluted his parents’ careers and are helping the next generation of K-12 educators through the Barbara S. and Glenn T. Thompson Graduate Award Fund. The award is targeted to a first-year PhD student in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education’s Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program.

“We recognize the needs the University continues to have in attracting funding, especially scholarship funding,” said Jim, retired executive vice president of The Mosaic Company and former Cargill executive. “One of the opportunities we saw was to help develop the next generation of leaders in education. Those who qualify for this PhD program are dedicated to leading the way. Considering that’s what my mother and father did for the last 15 to 20 years of their careers, it made sense to direct our gift to help new leaders make their mark and serve Wisconsin and the world.

“You do it because you want to honor the contributions they’ve been able to make to Wisconsin and to education, and you want to honor the education they received at the University,” he said.

Jim’s parents both grew up on farms – Barbara in McFarland, Wisconsin, Glenn just west of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. “Both of my parents were 4-H members and leaders from agricultural backgrounds,” he said. “Both of my parents went to one-room schools, and my mother taught in one-room schools in western Dane County. From those humble beginnings, both of them achieve PhDs from the UW, and they earned them on the same day.”
It’s not surprising that, with those backgrounds, the Thompson family has stated that a preference be given to candidates with rural backgrounds. “We are aiming to attract high-caliber applicants who have that rural experience and who will, we hope, go back and serve those schools in the rural parts of the state,” said Jim, who lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota. “My parents both had opportunities to move out of state during their careers, but they chose to serve the people and children of Wisconsin. We would love to have the recipients of this award do the same kind of thing.”

Barbara, who with Jim and other family members attended a School of Education reception celebrating the gift in October, said she was flattered to have the fund carry her and Glenn’s names. “Ours is a strong family, and as a family we’ve always treasured and guarded that opportunity to get a better education,” she said from her winter home in Bradenton, Florida. “To have our names on it is a real honor.”

Barbara was working in the Department of Public Instruction in the early ‘70s when it became clear the superintendent’s office would have a vacancy. She seized the chance to run in 1973 and won the election.

“I worked a lot with school district administrators at the time, and many of them encouraged me to run,” she said. “My approach as superintendent was a softer one, I think. I would approach people and say, ‘We’ll do it together and make it look good.’ That seemed to go over pretty well.

“It was a wonderful time, and I’m still very close with many of those administrators and school board members,” she said.

A condition of the fund is that, if possible, the winner would meet with Barbara.
"The Thompson Graduate Award Fund is a most fitting way to honor the Thompsons' passion for education, especially rural education, and to recognize their contributions to the state," said School of Education Dean Julie Underwood. "This fund will be a great resource in helping us to continue attracting extraordinary students to the University."

Jim said his parents did not push their children to go into education. “They were Mom and Dad to us,” he said. “There certainly was a lot of dinner discussion about education through the years, but there was never any pressure on my brother or me to become educators.”

Jim was on campus during the turbulent years of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “It was quite a dynamic place to be,” he said. “There was a lot of energy, a lot of diversity of opinion on campus. It was a great experience.”

In addition to making this gift, Jim serves on the board of visitors for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“Serving on the board, one gets a unique appreciation of the caliber of the University. My experience also has given me some insight to the continuing needs the University has for funding scholarships and other activities,” said Jim, whose son, Christopher, is a sophomore at the UW-Madison. “It has really enlightened me on how funding is determined and what a key position alumni are in to help.

“At the end of the day, you end up giving to benefit that area you want to help, but until you go through that process, I don’t think you really know the meaning such gifts have for the giver as well,” he said. “It means something not only to the recipient, but also to the individual making that gift. It is such a great experience.”