Thompson honored with portrait at chamber

Scott Thompson Sr. studied the likeness of himself on the framed canvas as an audience of friends and supporters applauded. 

“I’m trying to see if I look like my daddy and my mother,” he finally said, turning to face the crowd.  

Thompson, a local lawyer, writer and public servant, whose extensive research has made him the area’s unofficial historian, became the latest person honored with a portrait in the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce’s McGrath Keen Center on Wednesday. The painting, unveiled at the chamber’s annual trade show, will hang among others of people who dedicated much of their lives to make Dublin Laurens County a better place to live, work and play. 

“There are hundreds and hundreds more, they could fill up this whole building with portraits, of people who meant a lot and it is very humbling,” Thompson said of the honor. 

Thompson is a lifelong resident of Dublin and has served his hometown in many capacities. Most notably he spent a decade as chair of the Downtown Dublin Development Authority and 20 years as president of the Dublin Historical Society and coordinator of the Dublin-Laurens Museum. When the museum was forced to close Thompson worked diligently to preserve records, arranging for several documents and artifacts to be stored at the Laurens County Library, and returning others to the families who donated them. 

For nearly 30 years his research has been presented in The Courier Herald in his regular column “Pieces of Our Past.” 

“He’s written more than 2,000 historical articles,” said longtime friend David Gay during the unveiling ceremony. “Folks, that’s a lot of writing. Now I know why I can’t catch up with you on the weekends.”

Thompson has practiced law since 1983, following an example of service set by his father and fellow attorney Dale Thompson. 

“My father always said, ‘As lawyers, we’re here to help people, not get rich,'” Thompson said of his father’s influence. 

He has recieved numerous awards, including the chamber’s Community Spirit Award and the City of Dublin’s Golden Shamrock, and he’s been dubbed Man of the Year by the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee. Though he’s had some recent health scares, Thompson shows no sign of stopping his work. 

“I truly believe surviving what should have been a fatal heart attack, a very deadly blood infection and two near severe automobile crashes is because God has plans for me to do more,” he said. “I’ll be retiring in 2036, when I tie my father for number of days as a lawyer.”