Roosevelt Thompson

dated prod|concern = Neither attending Yale nor getting a Rhodes Scholarship, nor interning for famous politicians is notable in itself.|month = October|day = 10|year = 2008|time = 15:26|timestamp = 20081010152643

Roosevelt Levander Thompson, born January 28, 1962 in Little Rock, Arkansas, died in an automobile accident March 22, 1984. Rosey, as he was known on and off campus, won a Rhodes Scholarship and would had been a student at St. John's College, Oxford University.

Thompson attended Little Rock Central High School (Class of 1980) and Yale University (Class of 1984), where he was a member of Wolf's Head Society. At Central High School, Thompson graduated as valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 GPA, won a National Merit Scholarship, scored perfect SATs, and earned All-State designation in football, which he played at Yale. At Yale, in addition to election as president of the Calhoun Student Council, Rosey earned 34 A's and 1 B through his senior year fall semester. As a sophomore he won the Truman Scholarship, as a junior he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and as a senior he won a Rhodes Scholarship. He interned for Governor Bill Clinton in 1980 and 1983, worked for Hillary Clinton as a summer associate at the Rose Law Firm in 1981 and was an intern for Arkansas Senator David Pryor in 1982.

Rosey was killed in an automobile accident on the New Jersey Turnpike returning to Yale from spring vacation, March 22, 1984. The funeral service was held before a full auditorium at Little Rock Central High School where Governor Clinton gave the eulogy. The Governor said, "In this brief moment on this earth, he had lived with a richness and beauty worthy of many lives." The school's auditorium subsequently was named after Thompson.

Yale confers a senior prize in Thompson's honor, recognizing a senior class member's outstanding contribution to community service, and Little Rock in 2005 named a 30,000 volume library in his memory.

The Calhoun College residential library is named after Roosevelt where a portrait hangs over the fireplace. Additionally, the varsity football weightroom was named after Roosevelt by longtime Yale Coach Carm Cozza.

Roosevelt was active in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Beginning at age 12 he would conduct Sunday School lessons throughout Arkansas as the Thompson family traveled around the state. Roosevelt's father (Rev. C.R. Thompson) was a presiding elder in the church. Each year the AME Zion church holds a Roosevelt L. Thompson banquet to recognize young adult members of the church who have been active in community service.