COLUMBIA, SC -
Native Charlestonian Charles Thompson, Jr. has been named president of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, according to Executive Director Ephraim Ulmer.
Amidst his 34th year as a Lowcountry banker, Thompson replaces Julian Gibbons, an administrator with Palmetto Health in Columbia.
The South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame will celebrate its 52nd induction ceremony and banquet on May 14 in Columbia.
²The Board of Directors is fortunate to have Charles serve as this year¹s president as he has been a committed board member for a number of years,² said Ulmer. ³Our annual banquet is a special event and we will benefit greatly from Charles¹ vast experiences and from his leadership qualities. ³
³This is indeed an honor and a privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunity,² said Thompson, who graduated from Charleston¹s Bishop England High and the University of South Carolina. ³Our state has a rich history with regard to athletics and I¹m proud to be a part of the organization that helps preserve, honor and celebrate that history.²
Currently a senior mortgage officer at Harbor National Bank, Thompson owned and operated the Fort Sumter Company, LLC and he worked for Bank of Charleston, Home Federal Savings Bank and South Carolina Federal Savings Bank. He began his working career as a sports writer at The Post and Courier after graduating from USC.
The SC Athletic Hall of Fame¹s third president from Charleston (following Donald Bailey, 1992; Andy Solomon, 2010), Thompson, 59, is a past-president of the Metro Exchange Club and the North Charleston Sertoma Club in addition to serving as president of the Country Club of Charleston. A former member of Lander University¹s board of trustees, Thompson is a current board member/treasurer of the Charleston International Film Festival. He also holds membership in the South Carolina Irish Historical Society, Knights of Columbus, The Hibernian Society and The Carolina Yacht Club.
Also, Nicky McCarter, owner of Defender Industries of Columbia, has been named the organization¹s vice president while Kay Fortune of the Happy Cookers Catering in Columbia, is the new secretary-treasurer. Ms. Fortune becomes the first female officer in the 51-year history of the SC Athletic Hall of Fame.
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