Tommy Thompson papers, 1940-2022

Tommy Thompson (1935-2010) was a University of Wyoming graduate and floriculturist. Born in Laramie, Wyoming on September 15, 1935, Thompson lived with cerebral palsy and developed an early interest in gardening, beginning work at age fourteen by watering and mowing local parks. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1958 with a degree in Range Management and began working for the University in 1960 under Otto Dahl in the UW greenhouse. Thompson advanced to greenhouse supervisor and floriculturist, a position he held until his retirement in 1993. He died on February 19, 2010, at the age of seventy-four.

Shortly after his death, the “Friends of Tommy” committee was established on campus to honor his contributions to the University’s green spaces. The committee commissioned a 600-pound bronze sculpture created by Wyoming artist Vince Valdez, which was placed in September 2013 in the flower gardens south of Merica Hall, a location Thompson favored during his lifetime. A public dedication ceremony was held on September 7, 2013, prior to the first University of Wyoming football game of the season.