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Sarasota News Leader February 8, 2013 Page 87 he helped bring Sarasota from a small resort had that span of time that nothing happened. town to the modern city it is today." We thank God for Mr. Thompson," Shaw conVice Mayor Willie Shaw offered praise for the cluded. man and a different perspective — that of a Thompson is still referred to as "the architect black man in a segregated community. of Sarasota," and he is remembered for his "I have to let you know that … Mr. Thompson was more than the visionary who saw the need to build the streets and great buildings. He had to build a people. And at a time in 1957… when four black students came and wanted to check out books in this very building (the Chidsey facility was the city library at that time), it was beyond … the librarian's ability to give them books. So she called Ken Thompson. Mr. Thompson made the decision, called the librarian back and books were granted unto these young men," Shaw told the audience. upstanding nature. "In 35 years, there has never been so much as a whisper about Thompson's integrity, not so much as a free lunch, it is said, or a cocktail," said Rick Barry, a former reporter and editor at The Tampa Tribune and former reporter at the Pelican Press. Barry is a long-time Sarasota resident. Twenty-five years after Thompson's retirement, Barwin said, "I was introduced at a Rotary meeting the other day. The man intro"If we don't make this an inclusive communi- duced me as the person who has Ken Thompty, we will just about remain that Sarasota that son's job." % Mayor Suzanne Atwell talks about Thompson's accomplishments. Photo by Scott Proffitt