SDSU GUS AND EMMA THOMPSON BLACK RESOURCE CENTER RIBBON-CUTTING
Photo courtesy: LinkedIn
September 21, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diego State University's Black Resource Center was named in memory of entrepreneurs Gus & Emma Thompson Monday, after a $5 million gift from brothers Ron and Lloyd Dong, Jr. and their spouses, Janice and Girina.
A tribute to Emma and Gus Thompson, brothers Ron and Lloyd Dong, Jr., announced the gift in March. The former rented in the 1930's to and eventually sold to the Dong family the house where the latter grew up.
Photo courtesy: SDSUAccording to researcher Kevin Ashley, "Gustavus A. Thompson was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1859. He was working as a coach driver in Henderson during 1885 when he met E.S. Babcock, a founder of the Hotel del Coronado, who was visiting Thompson’s wealthy employer on a fundraising mission for the hotel."
In "Gus & Emma Thompson: A Treasure for San Diego," Tobin Vaughn writes, "The Dongs’ heritage is Chinese and in their parents’ day, people of color faced difficulty renting or buying property in Coronado. The Thompsons’ gesture was exceptional."
According to San Diego State University, "SDSU’s Gus and Emma Thompson Black Resource Center will be able to expand academic programs, provide additional mentors, expand mental health programming, provide additional resources to support students’ basic needs, upgrade facilities, and much more."