Reginald Stanley Thompson (1899-1994).
R.S. Thompson. An Appreciation by P.T. Currie.
The death, in January 1994, of Stanley Thompson at the age of 93 marks the passing of the last survivor of that perhaps idiosyncratic group of housemasters of the 1930s and 40s who were such a potent element in the Sherborne of fifty years ago. Those who were in the School prior to his departure to become Headmaster of Bloxham in 1952, after 30 years on the staff, will certainly have vivid memories of Thomper, as he was universally known. Vivid, but varied; for his character was of a kind to make a powerful impact, and memories will depend on the context in which one crossed his path. A man of unusually strong convictions, he never hesitated to make clear where he stood; and he was often reluctant to tone down his views when confronted by someone who did not share them. Inevitably, this could cause upsets, among both colleagues and pupils. But, equally, he was always a stalwart defender of individuals, or ideas, when he suspected unfairness or misrepresentation, regardless of his own tranquillity.
The standards that he set himself were high, and he saw little reason why others should not do the same. His convictions, even when they were uncomfortable, warranted admiration; and admiration could blossom into affection when one realised (as was often the case) that he had probably been right. In everything he did, he was concerned to advance the well-being, as he saw it, of any individual for whom he felt responsible or of any organisation to which he belonged.
This emphatically included the School, for which he felt an intense loyalty. He threw himself without stint into so many of its activities that his contributions cannot all be mentioned individually. But perhaps his most enduring achievement was to develop Hockey as a school team game, in the fact of some powerful opposition. From the late 1920s, and almost single-handed, he created a situation where hockey became a respected activity, even though, at that time, it was played only for the second half of the Lent Term, and on pitches converted overnight from Rugby grounds.
His 16 years as housemaster of Westcott House, where he went in 1936, were years of utter commitment. There were, no doubt, some who found his sense of purpose somewhat daunting. But there were also many others who responded with a gratitude that led to a truly warm and enduring relationship. His steadily increasing reputation, together with the many contacts that he developed, especially with prep school headmasters, meant that his house was often bursting at the seams with the entries that he was so reluctant to turn away. Sherborne has seldom had a more vigorous advocate, or one who was so widely known in circles beyond the School’s own confines. It was thus no surprise when, at the age of 52, he left to become an equally respected Headmaster. But his departure did not signal any loss of interest in Sherborne or Shirburnians – as will be testified by the countless people who have cause to remember his inexhaustible capacity for letter-writing, in a hand which, even after his 90th birthday, never seemed to betray signs of age.
A man of profound Christian faith, his life at Sherborne was centred on the chapel and all that it stood for. On this foundation, he built his career as a notably dedicated schoolmaster. The fact that so much of this career was devoted to Sherborne marks him out as a distinguished figure in its history.
Old Shirburnian Society Annual Report, January 1995.
Reginald Stanley Thompson (1899-1994).
Born 23 September 1899.
Hereford Cathedral School.
Lancing College.
Oriel College, Oxford.
Assistant Master, Sherborne School, 1922-1952.
Housemaster of Westcott House, 1936-1952.
Headmaster of Bloxham School, 1952-1965.
Died 28 January 1994.