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Biography of Robert L. Thompson
Robert was born July 27, 1926, a son of James Otis
Thompson, Sr. and Iris Goldie (Daugherty) Thompson. He was born in a small
community called Union, Philippi District, Barbour County, West Virginia. He
attended the Barbour County schools and graduated from Philippi High School
with the class of 1945. He did not get to attend college until later, because
of financial difficulties, but always kept in mind becoming a teacher. He
worked at various jobs–Railroad as a trackman, worked for the Superior
Chevrolet Garage in Philippi as a mechanics helper, worked for the State Road,
Barbour County School Board of Education maintenance crew, assistant manager
of Southern States Feed Store, school bus driver, coal miner, postage machine
shop, Akron, Ohio, (B & W) Babcock & Wilcock Boiler Company, Akron, Ohio, Good
Year Aircraft, Akron, Ohio.
Bob was married to Delma Wagner, June 14, 1952. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Wagner. They had one daughter, Debra Lynn. Bob and Delma are members of the Barbour Church of Christ.
The opportunity for him to go to college came while driving school bus, attending classes part time at A.B. College and Fairmont State College, night classes and summer school. He worked part time as a clerk at the Philippi Hardware. He was able to work at the hardware store during summer and also attend classes. He also attended classes at D & E College in Elkins and West Virginia Wesleyan College at Buckhannon, but graduated from A.B. College in Philippi.
After driving a school bus three years, he received enough credit hours to teach on a 3rd class certificate. His teaching career began in 1956–1957 at Ford Run, 2nd Term Valley Dell 1957–1958, 3rd Term Mt. Liberty (home school) 1958–1959–all of these were one room schools.
He got a leave of absence from teaching in 1959–60, then was re-employed again as a bus driver to finish his schooling for a B.A. degree in education. Re-entered the teaching field and taught two years at the Philippi Grade School in Philippi 1960-1961 and 1961–1962 terms. Then in 1962, he and his wife Delma and daughter left the state and went to Randolph, Ohio, fifteen miles east of Akron. They both taught in that area for five years. Debbie, his daughter, was a student in the school also. He had her as a student in the fourth grade. The first year they taught in Randolph, Ohio, Bob, Delma and Debbie lived in Akron, Ohio with his brother, William.
After five years in Randolph, Ohio, the family returned to West Virginia in 1967 and were employed in Belington. Bob was assigned to Belington Junior High School as a teacher, while Delma was assigned to Belington Elementary. Bob was appointed by the county superintendent as principal to fill the vacancy of a principal that left for other employment. The superintendent wanted him to go back to school and work toward his principal’s certificate and in doing so, the job would be his permanently, but he did not go back to school but did remain in the system as a teacher. Bob retired from the teaching profession in 1987 with thirty years teaching, four years driving a school bus plus the time as a maintenance worker.