Walter John "Jack" Thompson was born in Lansing on February 28, 1931. He graduated from East Lansing High School in 1949. On weekends, Jack, at 13, began helping his dad with his janitorial duties on campus. He began his 53-year career at Michigan State in 1946 and worked as a custodian. He soon moved on to food work. He was a cook in various campus dining hall cafeterias eventually becoming a food service manager. He became the editor of Serving State, a newsletter for campus food service and housing employees. As an adult, he periodically took night classes and eventually earned his BA in advertising from MSU in 1966; a M.A. in advertising in 1973. He also served as editor for various publications, brochures and news stories in the Housing and Food Services Division. He received the Distinguished Staff Award in 1988. Thompson retired in 1999. He was involved in many community projects including the Art Train during the 1976 US Bicentennial. Thompson was an active member of the East Lansing Historical Society and the East Lansing Historic District Commission. Jack Thompson died on March 24, 2022, in East Lansing. Topics/People Covered in Interview include: early life, education, Quonset Village, cooking, post-World War II campus, Shaw hall, military service, student activism, Vietnam War, Emory Foster, 'Serving State' publication, Madison Kuhn, Michigan Southern Railroad, Kennard Atkin, Mary Smith, life as an older student, Gerry Stoecker, Mike Rice, union activity, Bob underwood, John Hannah, Clifton Wharton, Ed Harden, Clare Mackey, John DiBiaggio, Peter McPherson, Marian Emerson, Tom Dutch, Georg Bergstrom, Malcom Trout, Turner-Dodge House, Historical Society of Greater lansing, Geneva Wiskemann, Justin Kestenbaum, Art Train, Dolores Wharton, East Lansing Historic District Commission, East Lansing Historical Society, Berley Baten, Floyd Darling, Ron Rodriquez, Joe Chavez, Verna Bradley, Frank Jansen, Jerry Puca.
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