Emma Thompson and George Desmarais Endow Scholarship

November 10, 2008

Lifelong residents of Lamoille County, Emma Thompson and George Desmarais, officially endowed a scholarship for JSC students who are graduates of a Lamoille County high school, have good academic records, have an interest in community service, and financial need.

Emma Thompson, currently staff assistant to the dean of students will be retiring from Johnson State College in December, after forty years of service. She is the only person, to this date, to have held her position at the college, having been hired by Freda Hebb in 1969 to serve as the initial secretary to the dean. (Her title later became staff assistant). During her tenure, Mrs. Thompson has worked with nineteen deans of students and eight presidents. The class of 1988 dedicated their yearbook to her, noting in part “Emma’s warm and cheery smile, her willingness to listen and her yearly jelly bean contest make her a tradition at our College. If Emma can’t tell you the answer to your question, probably no one can.” In 1989, Emma Thompson received the Freda Hebb Award, the college’s highest honor for a staff member, awarded in recognition of outstanding service. In her time at JSC, she has assisted countless students, staff, and faculty members, always with her customary grace and courtesy. She has contributed immeasurably to JSC.

In the words of College President Barbara Murphy, “Emma has been the face of student services and the dean of students’ office for almost forty years. There are few of us who could (or will) have such an impressive career record. It’s not just the length of service — though, certainly, Emma’s long tenure indicates dedication — as much as her steadiness and commitment to making sure that students and their families are greeted, directed to the right person, helped in finding the answers to their questions.”

The college will celebrate Emma Thompson’s service in early December.