PAUL B. THOMPSON, LT, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Paul Thompson '19

Date of birth: October 24, 1896

Date of death: February 19, 1931

Age: 34

Lucky Bag

From the 1919 Lucky Bag:

1919 Thompson LB.jpg

Paul Bristol Thompson

Hot Springs, Arkansas

"TOMMY, the handsomest man in the Naval Academy"—so said the Daily Outburst from his home town, heralding their hero's return, First-Class leave. Having gotten into the habit of not committing ourselves, the decision is up to you, girls.

It is true that Tommy is there when it comes to the subject of ladies, but that is not the only way that he's there. Now Tommy apparently has nothing of evil in his make-up, and hence may seem a queer specimen for a lacrosse sandbagger, but such he is. Our private explanation is that he spills all his meanness on Riff and on the field, clipping gnomonic charts on the superstructures of other cutthroats, leaving naught but sweetness. Anyhow, he has worked like an erg X 10^n, and while we hope we'll not be here for another season, Tommy sure rates a fair crack at an lNt.

He loves a rough-house, and Youngster year it was nothing uncommon for his neighbors to have their study hours shattered by such faint sounds as made by falling lockers, upturned beds, and busted sloboons coming from his room, which upon investigation proved to be Tommy and Riffel trying to take the first-classmen across the corridor into camp.

The weed has another victim in Tommy, for he has smoked most consistently ever since he landed here, but has always had a horseshoe and has gotten away with it without once getting ragged. Youngster year he came rather uncomfortably close on a certain day when he, Abie, and Riffel were staging a triangular meet on one skag, but as the D. O. appeared on the scene just as it was Riffel's turn, Riff was the only one who was forced to pay the penalty.

"Hey, Tommy, how does it feel to be a man?"

"Oh, that's the seagoing way to spell it—d-e-a-p s-e-a."

Honors: Buzzard; Basketball Squad 4, 3; Lacrosse Numerals 4, 3.


The Class of 1919 was graduated on June 6, 1918 due to World War I. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

1919 Thompson LB.jpg

Paul Bristol Thompson

Hot Springs, Arkansas

"TOMMY, the handsomest man in the Naval Academy"—so said the Daily Outburst from his home town, heralding their hero's return, First-Class leave. Having gotten into the habit of not committing ourselves, the decision is up to you, girls.

It is true that Tommy is there when it comes to the subject of ladies, but that is not the only way that he's there. Now Tommy apparently has nothing of evil in his make-up, and hence may seem a queer specimen for a lacrosse sandbagger, but such he is. Our private explanation is that he spills all his meanness on Riff and on the field, clipping gnomonic charts on the superstructures of other cutthroats, leaving naught but sweetness. Anyhow, he has worked like an erg X 10^n, and while we hope we'll not be here for another season, Tommy sure rates a fair crack at an lNt.

He loves a rough-house, and Youngster year it was nothing uncommon for his neighbors to have their study hours shattered by such faint sounds as made by falling lockers, upturned beds, and busted sloboons coming from his room, which upon investigation proved to be Tommy and Riffel trying to take the first-classmen across the corridor into camp.

The weed has another victim in Tommy, for he has smoked most consistently ever since he landed here, but has always had a horseshoe and has gotten away with it without once getting ragged. Youngster year he came rather uncomfortably close on a certain day when he, Abie, and Riffel were staging a triangular meet on one skag, but as the D. O. appeared on the scene just as it was Riffel's turn, Riff was the only one who was forced to pay the penalty.

"Hey, Tommy, how does it feel to be a man?"

"Oh, that's the seagoing way to spell it—d-e-a-p s-e-a."

Honors: Buzzard; Basketball Squad 4, 3; Lacrosse Numerals 4, 3.


The Class of 1919 was graduated on June 6, 1918 due to World War I. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Paul was lost on February 19, 1931 when the training plane he was aboard (as an instructor) crashed near Pensacola, Florida. The student pilot was also killed.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In April, 1914, the annual debating, reading and musical contest for three local high schools was held. Paul and a classmate took the affirmative side for Hot Springs high school in the debate “Resolved, That All Cities of 10,000 or More Inhabitants Should Adopt the Commission Form of Government Similar to the Des Moines Plan.”

In April, 1919, Paul was one of three navy men from Arkansas appointed by Governor Brough to represent their home state at the presentation of the silver service to the battleship Arkansas in New York City.

Paul married Sophie Stites on October, 23, 1920, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Rood in New York City. Their children were Lucile and Suzan. In April, 1930, they were living in New York City with Sophie’s parents.

In 1921, Paul applied for a U. S. passport for duty on the USS Utah which would take him to many countries in Europe and Africa. He was 5’ 11” tall with brown eyes and black hair.

Paul played on Lieut. J. F. McDonough’s golf team in Pensacola the week of January 18, 1931.

His father Markus G. was a physician, mother Lena, sister Ruth (Mrs. Arthur Lockwood,) and brothers Murray and Lieutenant William Thompson, U. S. army in China.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Photographs

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.

January 1919
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Conyngham

Others at this command:
January 1920
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Utah

January 1921
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Utah

Others at this command:
January 1922
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Reuben James
May 1923
Lieutenant, USS Reuben James

July 1923
Lieutenant, USS Reuben James
September 1923
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Reuben James
November 1923
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Reuben James

Others at this command:
January 1924
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Reuben James

Others at this command:
March 1924
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Reuben James
May 1924
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Reuben James
July 1924
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station, Annapolis, Maryland
September 1924
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
November 1924
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
January 1925
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
March 1925
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
May 1925
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
July 1925
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
October 1925
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
January 1926
Lieutenant, Officer in Charge, Naval Radio Station Annapolis, Maryland
October 1927
Lieutenant, Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B, USS Langley


Others at or embarked at USS Langley:
LCDR Oscar Erickson '16 (Utility Plane Squadron (VJ) 1B)
LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LT John Jones '21 (Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet)
January 1928
Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1B, USS Pennsylvania

Others at or embarked at USS Pennsylvania:
LT Francis Bridget '21 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Carlton Hutchins '26 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Oddle Anderson '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Loren Morris '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Julian Greer '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
April 1928
Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1B, USS Pennsylvania

Others at or embarked at USS Pennsylvania:
LT Francis Bridget '21 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Oddle Anderson '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Loren Morris '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Julian Greer '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
July 1928
Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1B, USS Pennsylvania

Others at or embarked at USS Pennsylvania:
LT Robert Fleming '17 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Oddle Anderson '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Julian Greer '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
October 1928
Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1B, USS Pennsylvania

Others at or embarked at USS Pennsylvania:
LT Robert Fleming '17 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Oddle Anderson '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS Julian Greer '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
January 1929
Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1B, USS Pennsylvania

Others at or embarked at USS Pennsylvania:
ENS Oddle Anderson '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
ENS John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (USS Pennsylvania)
April 1929
Lieutenant, tempo, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, USS Langley

Others at or embarked at USS Langley:
LCDR Frank McCord '11 (USS Langley)
July 1929
Lieutenant, tempo, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, USS Saratoga

Others at or embarked at USS Saratoga:
LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16 (Light Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 2B)
LT Thomas Fisher '18 (Light Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 2B)
LTjg Theodore Marshall '24 (USS Saratoga)
LTjg Charles McDonald '24 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Creighton Lankford '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg John Crane '26 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Henry Dozier '27 (USS Saratoga)
ENS Henry Twohy '29 (USS Saratoga)
October 1929
Lieutenant, USS Texas


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet)
January 1930
Lieutenant, USS Texas


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet)
April 1930
Lieutenant, USS Texas


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Warren Graf '27 (United States Fleet)


Class of 1919

Paul is one of 11 members of the Class of 1919 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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