Era Bell Thompson
Encyclopedia
Era Bell Thompson was a graduate of the University of North Dakota
(UND) and an editor of Ebony
magazine. She was also a recipient of the governor of North Dakota
's Roughrider Award
. A multicultural center at UND is named after her.
Thompson was born on August 10, 1905 in Des Moines, Iowa
, the only daughter of Steward “Tony” Thompson and Mary Logan Thompson, the children of former slaves.
where they were the only black family in the small community, and she and her brothers were often the only African-Americans in the schools they attended. Thompson would find herself in similar situations for much of her youth and into early adulthood. She wrote years later of her ignorance of blacks before she moved to Chicago following her graduation from college.
Thompson graduated from Bismarck High, where she had excelled in sports and pursued journalism, often to cope with the isolation she often felt. She enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 1925, and she excelled in track and field, breaking several school records, tying two national records and earning the distinction of being one of the state’s greatest athletes. However, during her second year of college, an extended bout with pleurisy left her too debilitated to run track and forced her to leave school.
She moved to Chicago and worked in a variety of short-lived clerical jobs before landing one at a magazine. For three months and for a pay of ten dollars a week, she “learned how to run a magazine on hope, patience, and a very worn shoe string; to proofread and write advertising copy—and keep warm by burning magazines in an old fireplace,” Thompson writes in her autobiography. After an illness to her father she was forced to return to North Dakota, where she worked for the Riley family doing chores in exchange for financial support for her and her family
’s Medill School of Journalism
. Initially unable to find a job in journalism, Thompson worked a number of small clerical jobs while continuing to write small personal writing projects and, thanks in part to a fellowship from Newberry Library
, an autobiography. Published in 1946, it is titled American Daughter.
In 1947, Thompson came to the attention of Ebony. She joined the magazine as associate editor. Two years after becoming co-managing editor, she began her foreign reporting in 1953. She was instrumental in shaping Ebony magazine’s vision and guiding its coverage for approximately forty years while serving in a variety of editorial capacities.
In 1954 she published a second book, Africa, Land of My Fathers, based on a tour of 18 countries in Africa. Thompson was still listed as an editor of Ebony in 1985, an indication of her longevity with the publication. She was praised for her efforts in promoting both racial and gender understanding. She died in Chicago in 1986.
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
(UND) and an editor of Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine. She was also a recipient of the governor of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
's Roughrider Award
Roughrider Award
The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award is an award presented by the governor of the state of North Dakota. It is bestowed upon prominent North Dakotans.-Recipients:Note: date in parentheses indicates date of award...
. A multicultural center at UND is named after her.
Thompson was born on August 10, 1905 in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, the only daughter of Steward “Tony” Thompson and Mary Logan Thompson, the children of former slaves.
Early years
In 1914, her parents moved Thompson and her three brothers to Driscoll, North DakotaDriscoll, North Dakota
Driscoll is a census-designated place in southeastern Burleigh County, North Dakota, United States. An unincorporated community, it was designated as part of the U.S. Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program on June 10, 2010...
where they were the only black family in the small community, and she and her brothers were often the only African-Americans in the schools they attended. Thompson would find herself in similar situations for much of her youth and into early adulthood. She wrote years later of her ignorance of blacks before she moved to Chicago following her graduation from college.
Thompson graduated from Bismarck High, where she had excelled in sports and pursued journalism, often to cope with the isolation she often felt. She enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 1925, and she excelled in track and field, breaking several school records, tying two national records and earning the distinction of being one of the state’s greatest athletes. However, during her second year of college, an extended bout with pleurisy left her too debilitated to run track and forced her to leave school.
She moved to Chicago and worked in a variety of short-lived clerical jobs before landing one at a magazine. For three months and for a pay of ten dollars a week, she “learned how to run a magazine on hope, patience, and a very worn shoe string; to proofread and write advertising copy—and keep warm by burning magazines in an old fireplace,” Thompson writes in her autobiography. After an illness to her father she was forced to return to North Dakota, where she worked for the Riley family doing chores in exchange for financial support for her and her family
Literary career
She returned to college with the support of the Riley family, and received a B.A. degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. Returning to Chicago, she did postgraduate work at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
’s Medill School of Journalism
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It has consistently been one of the top-ranked schools in Journalism in the United States...
. Initially unable to find a job in journalism, Thompson worked a number of small clerical jobs while continuing to write small personal writing projects and, thanks in part to a fellowship from Newberry Library
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
, an autobiography. Published in 1946, it is titled American Daughter.
In 1947, Thompson came to the attention of Ebony. She joined the magazine as associate editor. Two years after becoming co-managing editor, she began her foreign reporting in 1953. She was instrumental in shaping Ebony magazine’s vision and guiding its coverage for approximately forty years while serving in a variety of editorial capacities.
In 1954 she published a second book, Africa, Land of My Fathers, based on a tour of 18 countries in Africa. Thompson was still listed as an editor of Ebony in 1985, an indication of her longevity with the publication. She was praised for her efforts in promoting both racial and gender understanding. She died in Chicago in 1986.