Norman Thompson’s Portrait Unveiled
Alumni Executive Board President Jeremy Alpert ’91 said it was a privilege to participate in the unveiling ceremony for Norman S. Thompson, Jr.’s portrait, the 22nd in the Faculty Portrait Series.
Noting the MUS English legends among the crowd of devotees gathered in Ingram Dining Hall on September 24, he added, “It’s a bit daunting to know that every word of my presentation is being dissected by these illustrious grammarians. Therefore, I did make sure to check my entire speech against my trusty Owl English Handbook.”
He held up a copy of the manual, drawing laughs and applause.
Faculty Emeritus Norman Thompson was joined by his wife, Carole; daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Matt Saenger ’98 and their sons, Thompson ’26 and Elliott ’30; and other family members and friends. With Alpert presiding, they heard tributes from Headmaster Pete Sanders, Headmaster Emeritus Ellis Haguewood, and Robert Davis, MUS Class of 1982.
Sanders noted Thompson’s myriad roles over his record-breaking 53 years at the school. In addition to teaching English throughout his tenure, he served as advisor to the Honor Council (1978-2025), advisor to The Owl’s Hoot student newspaper (1979-2025), director of Summer School (1997-2016), and “Voice of the Owls” announcer for varsity football games (1985-2026 and ongoing). In addition, he wrote “The Last Word” columns for the MUS Today alumni magazine.
“Memphis University School is profoundly indebted to Norman Thompson,” Sanders said. “In all that he did for this school and its students – as teacher, advisor, and mentor – he displayed the virtues of our school motto, Veritas Honorque. For all of us at Memphis University School, this portrait will serve as a reminder of a man who tirelessly served MUS and embodied truth and honor.”
Haguewood, who met the fellow English teacher and kindred spirit at MUS 54 years ago and shared a “closet-sized office” with him, offered: “Norman Thompson stands as the quintessential model of the independent-school teacher. Always the refined civility and the sartorial propriety of a gentleman, his rapier wit unsheathed only when needed but always at the ready, he shaped the minds and the sensibilities of students by the force of his own habits of mind, his pursuit of excellence in the classroom, and his strength of purpose. He sharpened the intellect, quickened the moral sense, and developed the perspicuity of thousands of boys, now alumni, who admire and respect him with gratitude, even more now with the passing of time.”
Davis, who served as the editor of The Owl’s Hoot under Mr. Thompson, recounted the teacher’s “origin story,” when an officemate took him to see Col. Ross Lynn in 1972. The headmaster saw something promising in the young man, and so began over five decades of his influence on the Owl community.
“Dear MUS, how kind the fate, to borrow a phrase, to have such an extraordinary molder of men for over half a century, an outcome made possible by Col. Lynn’s prescient decision to hire that untested young teacher,” Davis said.
He noted that the man who arranged the meeting is lost to history, comparing him to the character Mentes in The Odyssey, “who spurs Telemachus to set sail on his momentous journey and then vanishes, never to be seen in the story again.”
He continued: “We’ll never know whether the version of Mentes in Mr. Thompson’s story, who also disappeared, was a deity in disguise. Whoever he was, we owe him our profound thanks for setting young Norman Thompson on his journey, and as a result, changing the course of history … for this school and for the thousands of boys, like me, whose lives Mr. Thompson helped shape.
“It’s been indeed an epic journey, one that’s supremely deserving of the honor we bestow today.”
Thompson offered his gratitude to those gathered as well as to nine faculty members now immortalized in the Faculty Portrait Series – men who had a profound impact on him over the years.
“The honor of being deemed worthy of inclusion in this pantheon of educators who dedicated much of their lives to pursuing and inculcating the true, the good, and the beautiful fulfills one of my highest aspirations. Historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote ‘the supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.’ If nothing else, I accomplished this goal, for each workday of a very long career infused my life with the satisfaction of accomplishing the mission of a good teacher and of enjoying the camaraderie of colleagues and of young men eagerly embarking on their journey of life.”
Alpert concluded the program by thanking all in attendance and offering each a copy of the newly printed Norman S. Thompson, Jr. Collected Writings and Musings, made possible by the generosity of Eleanor and Eric Osborne, Class of 2000. He also extended gratitude to Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Ann Laughlin for organizing the event along with all the Homecoming school gatherings.
Watch the unveiling ceremony video on our Vimeo account. See images from the event in our photo gallery.
The Alumni Executive Board created the Faculty Portrait Series in 2005 to honor faculty members who have dedicated their lives to serving MUS. There have been many changes in the campus over the years, but these portraits serve as a daily reminder that the faculty have been unchanging in their steadfast commitment to providing the highest quality teaching and experience for our students. Norman Thompson’s portrait is the 22nd in the series. See the collection at musowls.org/faculty-portrait-series.
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He held up a copy of the manual, drawing laughs and applause.
Faculty Emeritus Norman Thompson was joined by his wife, Carole; daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Matt Saenger ’98 and their sons, Thompson ’26 and Elliott ’30; and other family members and friends. With Alpert presiding, they heard tributes from Headmaster Pete Sanders, Headmaster Emeritus Ellis Haguewood, and Robert Davis, MUS Class of 1982.
Sanders noted Thompson’s myriad roles over his record-breaking 53 years at the school. In addition to teaching English throughout his tenure, he served as advisor to the Honor Council (1978-2025), advisor to The Owl’s Hoot student newspaper (1979-2025), director of Summer School (1997-2016), and “Voice of the Owls” announcer for varsity football games (1985-2026 and ongoing). In addition, he wrote “The Last Word” columns for the MUS Today alumni magazine.
“Memphis University School is profoundly indebted to Norman Thompson,” Sanders said. “In all that he did for this school and its students – as teacher, advisor, and mentor – he displayed the virtues of our school motto, Veritas Honorque. For all of us at Memphis University School, this portrait will serve as a reminder of a man who tirelessly served MUS and embodied truth and honor.”
Haguewood, who met the fellow English teacher and kindred spirit at MUS 54 years ago and shared a “closet-sized office” with him, offered: “Norman Thompson stands as the quintessential model of the independent-school teacher. Always the refined civility and the sartorial propriety of a gentleman, his rapier wit unsheathed only when needed but always at the ready, he shaped the minds and the sensibilities of students by the force of his own habits of mind, his pursuit of excellence in the classroom, and his strength of purpose. He sharpened the intellect, quickened the moral sense, and developed the perspicuity of thousands of boys, now alumni, who admire and respect him with gratitude, even more now with the passing of time.”
Davis, who served as the editor of The Owl’s Hoot under Mr. Thompson, recounted the teacher’s “origin story,” when an officemate took him to see Col. Ross Lynn in 1972. The headmaster saw something promising in the young man, and so began over five decades of his influence on the Owl community.
“Dear MUS, how kind the fate, to borrow a phrase, to have such an extraordinary molder of men for over half a century, an outcome made possible by Col. Lynn’s prescient decision to hire that untested young teacher,” Davis said.
He noted that the man who arranged the meeting is lost to history, comparing him to the character Mentes in The Odyssey, “who spurs Telemachus to set sail on his momentous journey and then vanishes, never to be seen in the story again.”
He continued: “We’ll never know whether the version of Mentes in Mr. Thompson’s story, who also disappeared, was a deity in disguise. Whoever he was, we owe him our profound thanks for setting young Norman Thompson on his journey, and as a result, changing the course of history … for this school and for the thousands of boys, like me, whose lives Mr. Thompson helped shape.
“It’s been indeed an epic journey, one that’s supremely deserving of the honor we bestow today.”
Thompson offered his gratitude to those gathered as well as to nine faculty members now immortalized in the Faculty Portrait Series – men who had a profound impact on him over the years.
“The honor of being deemed worthy of inclusion in this pantheon of educators who dedicated much of their lives to pursuing and inculcating the true, the good, and the beautiful fulfills one of my highest aspirations. Historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote ‘the supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.’ If nothing else, I accomplished this goal, for each workday of a very long career infused my life with the satisfaction of accomplishing the mission of a good teacher and of enjoying the camaraderie of colleagues and of young men eagerly embarking on their journey of life.”
Alpert concluded the program by thanking all in attendance and offering each a copy of the newly printed Norman S. Thompson, Jr. Collected Writings and Musings, made possible by the generosity of Eleanor and Eric Osborne, Class of 2000. He also extended gratitude to Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Ann Laughlin for organizing the event along with all the Homecoming school gatherings.
Watch the unveiling ceremony video on our Vimeo account. See images from the event in our photo gallery.
The Alumni Executive Board created the Faculty Portrait Series in 2005 to honor faculty members who have dedicated their lives to serving MUS. There have been many changes in the campus over the years, but these portraits serve as a daily reminder that the faculty have been unchanging in their steadfast commitment to providing the highest quality teaching and experience for our students. Norman Thompson’s portrait is the 22nd in the series. See the collection at musowls.org/faculty-portrait-series.
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Memphis University School is a college-preparatory, independent, day school for boys in Grades 6-12.
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