WASHINGTON – In conjunction with the DC Mayor's Office and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the renamed John R. Thompson Jr. High School was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday morning, the first day of school in the newly-renovated building. The school, less than a mile from Georgetown University's campus, was named in honor of Hall of Fame Georgetown Coach John Thompson Jr., an iconic figure in the District.
 
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, DCPS, the DC Department of General Services and District leaders joined to celebrate the occasion along with members of the Thompson family as well as Georgetown University leaders, former Hoya players and the greater DC and Georgetown community. The event featured remarks from Mayor Bowser as well as John R. Thompson Jr. High School Principal Dr. Harold McCray, GU's Father Ray Kemp as well as Thompson's grandson Dylan among others.
 
While Thompson is widely known for his success on the court culminating in the 1984 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, it was his commitment to education that was the theme during Monday's ceremony. During Thompson's tenure on the Hilltop, his student-athletes who stayed all four years boasted a 97% graduation rate.
 
JOHN R. THOMPSON JR.
SUCCESS ON THE COURT
Enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (1999), John Thompson Jr. was no stranger to success on the court. In his tenure, the Hoyas advanced to the NCAA Championship game three times (1982, 1984, 1985) in four years, capturing the national title in 1984. His teams earned 24-consecutive postseason berths, 20 to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Following the championship in 1984, he was named Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Sporting News. Following a return to the national championship game in 1985, the National Association of Basketball Coaches tabbed him Coach of the Year and globally, United Press International bestowed the title upon him following the 1986-87 season.
 
Ushering in a new era of college basketball, Thompson's Hoyas were one of the original teams of the newly-formed BIG EAST Conference in 1989. During his reign, Georgetown captured six BIG EAST Tournament titles, seven regular season titles and six BIG EAST Player of the Year awards. On three occasions, the conference named him its Coach of the Year.
 
He had success on a global scale as he was the head coach of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1988, winning a bronze medal, and was part of two gold medal efforts, first in 1976 as an assistant coach and again in 1984 as a member of the selection committee for the team.
 
Thompson coached eight players who were first round NBA Draft selections including Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson, all of whom are now enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
 
On October 6, 2016 Georgetown opened the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center.  The Thompson Center transformed the athletics experience at Georgetown with a facility that now supports the demands student-athletes face on a daily basis. It was built adjacent to McDonough Arena and, with roughly 144,000 square feet of space, houses practice courts, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, lounge areas and coaches' offices for men's and women's basketball, sports performance and sports medicine facilities, a student-athlete academic center, fueling station, the Hoyas Forever Hallway to honor the University's rich athletic tradition and history and a courtyard for student-athletes that has a comfortable meditation area with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
SOCIAL JUSTICE & ACTIVISM
Thompson's efforts on the court were matched only by his efforts in social justice and speaking out against racism. Thompson was often lauded as the first Black head coach to win an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Many times he would show his displeasure with the assertion as he felt it implied he was the first Black coach with the intelligence to accomplish the feat and would clarify that he was instead the first Black head coach with the opportunity to do so. His continued effort to shed light on inequality and racism helped define his career.
 
He spoke out against racism directed at himself and his players, often shielding his teams. Known for his most outspoken gesture of walking out against Proposition 42 in 1989, a rule that he found to be attacking Black youth and their opportunity at an education, it was only one instance in a lifetime of speaking on the importance of education as well as shedding light on constructs that work against the Black community and finding ways to fix the system.
 
In 2000 he established The John Thompson Charitable Foundation to help improve the quality of life for underserved children within the District of Columbia and other communities. The Foundation awards grants to organizations that enhance children's lives, provide for continuing education, or support rehabilitation. Thompson was a consultant, spokesman and board member to Nike, along with serving as Coach Emeritus and Presidential Consultant for Urban Affairs at Georgetown. The University awarded him for his lasting commitment to the Hilltop community with its two highest honors: the President's Award and the Patrick Healy Award.
 
BACKGROUND
Coach Thompson's bachelor's degree from Providence College was in economics and he also held a master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of the District of Columbia. He received honorary degrees from Georgetown University, St. Peter's College, Wheeling College and the University of the District of Columbia. Prior to his arrival at Georgetown, Thompson was a highly successful high school coach, amassing a record of 122-28 at St. Anthony's High School in Washington, D.C. Before entering the coaching ranks, he played on two Boston Celtic World Championship teams under the tutelage of fellow Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. While attending Providence College, Thompson led the Friars to the NIT Championship in 1963 and was named "New England Player of the Year" the following season. During his high school career, Thompson led John Carroll High School to 55-consecutive victories, two city championships and was named an All-American.