Hall Thompson
Encyclopedia
Hall Thompson was an American businessman and developer from Birmingham, Alabama
who established the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in 1977 as an invitation-only private golf club. Thompson courted controversy around the time of the 1990 PGA Championship
, which was held at Shoal Creek, when it came to public attention that the club did not admit African American
members, triggering a wave of protests. In the aftermath of Shoal Creek, the Professional Golfers Association of America, the PGA Tour
and the United States Golf Association
established regulations that require host clubs to have non-discriminatory membership policies.
and created the Golf and Country Club in 1977. The course held a number of notable tournaments, with major events such as the 1984 PGA Championship
won by Lee Trevino
passing without incident. In the months before the 1990 PGA Championship which was to be played in August at the club, Thompson was approached by a reporter from the Birmingham Post-Herald
who asked about the club's admission policies, with Thompson noting the inclusion of Jews
and women as members, saying that "we don't discriminate in every other area except blacks". Civil rights organizations announced that they would stage protests.
IBM
and other key corporate sponsors such as American Honda Motor Company
, Lincoln-Mercury
and Toyota pulled out of the television advertising during the tournament, costing the tournament's broadcasters ABC
and ESPN
an estimated $2 million in advertising revenue. On July 31, in an agreement reached between the club, the PGA and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
, Shoal Creek announced that it would begin accepting blacks as members. Following the agreement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
announced that it too would not conduct protests at the club. The tournament went off in the absence of any confrontations. Sports Illustrated
called Thompson "Alabama's second-most-effective catalyst for change in race relations" after Rosa Parks
, noting that the effect of his remarks led to club's admission of Louis J. Willie, president of the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company as an honorary member, meaning that he would not have to pay the club's standard $35,000 initiation fee and paved the way for the sport's governing bodies to end play at clubs that practiced discrimination.
Thompson remained involved with the Shoal Creek club until his death, and saw the admission of members such as former United States Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
. A junior amateur tournament was held at the club in 2008, and in 2010 Shoal Creek the PGA Champions Tour announced it would move one of its major tour events, The Tradition
(now to be called "The Regions Tradition") to the club in 2011.
Thompson died at the age of 87 on October 27, 2010. He was survived by his wife, Lucille, as well as by two daughters, three sons and eight grandchildren.
As part of an effort that "helps change the climate" executive director David B. Fay of the United States Golf Association, the organization that sets rules for the sport and operates the U.S. Open
, the second of the four major championships
, announced new regulations in November under which the USGA would not hold tournaments at private clubs that discriminate against women or minorities. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America had already announced in August that clubs that discriminated based on race, religion or sex would not be accepted as sites for the 120 tournaments conducted each year.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
who established the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in 1977 as an invitation-only private golf club. Thompson courted controversy around the time of the 1990 PGA Championship
1990 PGA Championship
The 1990 PGA Championship was the 72nd PGA Championship held from August 9-12 at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Wayne Grady won his first major championship by three strokes over Fred Couples.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...
, which was held at Shoal Creek, when it came to public attention that the club did not admit African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
members, triggering a wave of protests. In the aftermath of Shoal Creek, the Professional Golfers Association of America, the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
established regulations that require host clubs to have non-discriminatory membership policies.
Biography
Thompson was born on May 28, 1923, and established a heavy equipment company in the 1950s. He developed Shoal CreekShoal Creek
Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, located in Shelby County, east of Hoover, Alabama, USA, is an invitation-only private golf club which opened in 1977. The course was designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus and is rated as the top golf course in the state...
and created the Golf and Country Club in 1977. The course held a number of notable tournaments, with major events such as the 1984 PGA Championship
1984 PGA Championship
The 1984 PGA Championship was the 66th PGA Championship held from August 16-19 at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Lee Trevino won his second PGA Championship and sixth major title by four strokes over Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins....
won by Lee Trevino
Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:...
passing without incident. In the months before the 1990 PGA Championship which was to be played in August at the club, Thompson was approached by a reporter from the Birmingham Post-Herald
Birmingham Post-Herald
The Birmingham Post-Herald was a daily newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama with roots dating back to 1850, before the founding of Birmingham. The final edition was published on September 23, 2005...
who asked about the club's admission policies, with Thompson noting the inclusion of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and women as members, saying that "we don't discriminate in every other area except blacks". Civil rights organizations announced that they would stage protests.
IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
and other key corporate sponsors such as American Honda Motor Company
American Honda Motor Company
The American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is a North American subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, Ltd. It was founded in 1959 and is based in Torrance, California...
, Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln–Mercury was a collective name for the Lincoln and Mercury divisions of the Ford Motor Company, whose vehicles were typically sold side-by-side in a single dealership....
and Toyota pulled out of the television advertising during the tournament, costing the tournament's broadcasters ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
an estimated $2 million in advertising revenue. On July 31, in an agreement reached between the club, the PGA and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Shoal Creek announced that it would begin accepting blacks as members. Following the agreement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
announced that it too would not conduct protests at the club. The tournament went off in the absence of any confrontations. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
called Thompson "Alabama's second-most-effective catalyst for change in race relations" after Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
, noting that the effect of his remarks led to club's admission of Louis J. Willie, president of the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company as an honorary member, meaning that he would not have to pay the club's standard $35,000 initiation fee and paved the way for the sport's governing bodies to end play at clubs that practiced discrimination.
Thompson remained involved with the Shoal Creek club until his death, and saw the admission of members such as former United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
. A junior amateur tournament was held at the club in 2008, and in 2010 Shoal Creek the PGA Champions Tour announced it would move one of its major tour events, The Tradition
The Tradition
The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
(now to be called "The Regions Tradition") to the club in 2011.
Thompson died at the age of 87 on October 27, 2010. He was survived by his wife, Lucille, as well as by two daughters, three sons and eight grandchildren.
Legacy
Thompson's remarks led to greater introspection by the golf world regarding the membership policies at the clubs that serve as tournament hosts, with an official at the USGA estimating that 75% of private clubs in the United States in 1990 had membership policies that exclude minorities and women.As part of an effort that "helps change the climate" executive director David B. Fay of the United States Golf Association, the organization that sets rules for the sport and operates the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, the second of the four major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
, announced new regulations in November under which the USGA would not hold tournaments at private clubs that discriminate against women or minorities. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America had already announced in August that clubs that discriminated based on race, religion or sex would not be accepted as sites for the 120 tournaments conducted each year.