ATLANTA – The Columbus Legislative Delegation will host a memorial bridge dedication ceremony for the late Judge Albert W. Thompson, Sr. on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 10 a.m. in the TSYS Parking Lot A near the south end of the 2nd Ave. bridge (corner of 2nd Ave. and 15th St.) in Columbus.
Near the south end of the 2nd Ave. bridge, there will be a short program in the TSYS parking lot to honor the late Judge Thompson. The Thompson Family and members of the Columbus Legislative Delegation will take a short walk to the south end of the 2nd Ave. bridge to unveil the new signs for the Judge Albert W. Thompson Memorial Bridge.
During the 2020 legislative session, State Representative Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), chairman of the Columbus Legislative Delegation and Dean of the Georgia House, introduced House Resolution 1388 to dedicate a bridge on State Route 85 over Railroad Ave/Railroad Street (2nd Ave. bridge) in Muscogee County in honor of Thompson. Rep. Smyre’s resolution was signed by the entire Columbus Legislative Delegation and incorporated into Senate Resolution 844, which served as the General Assembly’s annual road/bridge dedication legislation.
In 1951, Judge Thompson made history as the first African American admitted to the Bar in Columbus. In 1965, he became the first African American elected to public office in Muscogee County and one of the first to desegregate the Georgia House. He served seven terms in the Georgia House and was the first African American chairperson in the state legislature. He went on to serve as a superior court judge, and once he retired, he served as an administrative law judge for the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. Thompson earned his bachelor’s degree from Savannah State College and his Juris Doctorate from Howard University.
For more information about this event, please contact Rep. Smyre at 706-649-2243.
WHO: Members of the Columbus Legislative Delegation
Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus)
WHAT: Bridge Dedication Ceremony
WHEN: Thursday, May 26, 2022
10 a.m.
WHERE: TSYS Parking Lot A
Corner of 2nd Ave. and 15th St.
Columbus, GA 31901
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