Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Wanda Thompson Papers
Date(s)
Extent
Name of creator
Biographical history
Wanda Thompson was born in a small rural town in Florida. Her father served in the military and her mother was a teacher. Early in her life Thompson moved around due to her father’s job, and has lived in places like Germany, France, California, and Georgia, before moving to the Hilltop area of Tacoma. She attended the all-girls Catholic academy, Aquinas Academy, which in 1974 combined with an all-boys Catholic academy to form Bellarmine Preparatory School. She won Ms. Hilltop in 1969 and ran for Ms. Downtown Tacoma in 1980.
After high school Thompson attended Evergreen State College and studied cultural anthropology and journalism. While at Evergreen she also studied abroad in France. Out of college her first job was at the Tacoma Public Library in the genealogy department. From there she went on to work at the Puget Sound National Bank, Civic Arts Commission, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Rehabilitation Council of Washington to name a few. Thompson has been involved in the Tacoma community through her involvement with organizations like the Tacoma Urban League, the Tacoma Downtown Association, and the Afro-Pageant and Show. She is also a published author.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Includes correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, photos, and other documents related to Wanda Thompson’s life. Many of the documents pertain to Thompson’s career including her time as a model, job analyst for Puget Sound Bank, employee at the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Executive Director of the Rehabilitation Council of Washington State. The papers also point to Thompson’s involvement with the community in Tacoma like her engagement with the Afro-Pageant and Show. Also included is an oral history with Wanda Thompson recorded on June 3, 2023.