User:RichardBond/Noah Thompson

Noah D. Thompson is on the editorial staff of the Evening Express and Morning Tribune of Los Angeles, California. He is a special writer, featuring the best interests of the Negro race. He is a keen observer, never allowing an opportunity to escape whereby he can serve his people. Mr. Thompson's training and experience previous to coming to California well fitted him for his new position in the literary world, as the following will show: "Noah D. Thompson was born at Baltimore, Maryland, June 9, 1878, son of William P. and Sarah (Wood) Thompson; educated in the public schools of Baltimore; took course in Gregg's Business College, Chicago, IlI.; married Lillian B. Murphy, daughter of editor John H. Murphy, owner of the Afro-American of Baltimore, November 6, 1901. His first wife died March 31, 1905, and he was married to Eloise A. Bibb, of New Orleans, La., August 4, 1911. One child, Noah Murphy Thompson.

"For nearly twenty years Mr. Thompson was engaged in the money department of the United States Express Company of Chicago, Illinois. From 1909 to 1911 associated with the Booker T. Washington educational institution at Tuskegee, Alabama. Later moved to Los Angeles and engaged in the real estate business, handling mostly personal property, and was associate editor of The Liberator of Los Angeles from 1912 to 1913. Was offered the position of sergeant-at-arms of the Paris, France, Exposition in 1900. Member of the advisory council appointed by the Governor of Illinois for the National Half-Century Anniversary of Negro Freedom, Chicago, Illinois, 1915. Member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Soldier's and Sailors' Welfare Commission, also appointed by the United States Government as a 'Four-Minute Man' for the duration of the war."

Noah D. Thompson is on the editorial staff of the Evening Express and Morning Tribune of Los Angeles, California. He is a special writer, featuring the best interests of the Negro race. He is a keen observer, never allowing an opportunity to escape whereby he can serve his people. Mr. Thompson's training and experience previous to coming to California well fitted him for his new position in the literary world, as the following will show:

It is a rare instance in the literary world when both the husband and wife are a success in letters. The lives of Mr. and Mrs. Noah D. Thompson appeal to the writer with the same standard as that of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. If the reader will but recall the lives of these writers, it will be remembered that they were intensely in love with each other; and yet equally as much in love with their work in the literary world. Mr. and Mrs. Noah D. Thompson have a happy home life and are very much a success in the field of letters.

Mrs. Thompson is known best by her first name, Eloise Bibb-Thompson. For many years she has been special feature writer for the Sunday issue of the Los Angeles Tribune, Morning Sun of Los Angeles, and a contributor to the popular magazines, Out West and the Tidings. The last named is the official organ of the Diocese of Monterey and Los Angeles. Among her notable contributions to The Tidings was an article, "The Church and the Negro," and a beautiful, inspiring poem, entitled "A Garland of Prayer," which appeared in the November issue of 1917 and which, with Mrs. Thompson's permission, appears in the Literary department of this book.

Mrs. Eloise Bibb-Thompson and her husband are both Catholic; recently she addressed the Catholic Women's Clubs of Los Angeles in the Knights of Columbus hall. The daily papers, in commenting on her appearance, spoke of her as a "distinguished speaker," and, while her subject was an appeal for her race, in all the different daily papers her address was spoken of in the highest terms without the constant addition, a's is often the case "as a colored woman." Too often a colored speaker before a white audience has had his subject overshadowed by the constant reference to the speaker's race. They wrote her up in a truly democratic fashion. The address did much good for the Negrq race.

While Mrs. Eloise Bibb-Thompson is identified with the literary life of Los Angeles, she is not a Californian. But, as with her husband, her education and years of experience have splendidly fitted her for the) position she now fills with honor to the race, as the following sketch will show: "Mrs. Eloise Bibb-Thompson, writer, born at New Orleans, La., daughter of Charles H. and Adel Bibb; father was inspector of United States Customs about forty years; graduated New Orleans University; student at Oberlin College, in Ohio; graduated from the Teachers' College, Howard University, Washington, D. C.; took special course in New York School of Philanthropy; head resident of the Social Settlement House of Howard University, Washington, D. C., from 1908 to '11; married Noah D. Thompson in Chicago, Illinois, August, 1911. Permanent address 1711 East Fifty-fifth street, Los Angeles."

The following additional history has been made by Mr. and Jrfrs. Noah D. Thompson since the completion of their sketches: Mr. Noah Thompson has been appointed member of the official staff of the Soldiers and Sailors' Welfare Commission of Los Angeles, California; chairman of the National Colored Soldiers' Comfort Committee; member of the War Department's Special Committee of One Hundred Speakers; member of the editorial staff of the Los Angeles Evening Express, and frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and other periodicals. Mr. Thompson is a devout Catholic, who prays that his race will never lose its religious fervor.