Alumni Voices: Making Waves: Retired Capt. George N. Thompson ’72,  the First African American to Lead the U.S. Navy Band

 

“Both of my parents were active singers in church choir,” Thompson says. “I went to the piano after services and began picking up melodies. They knew I needed a professional teacher.” His lessons continued until he enrolled at Westminster as a Fourth Former. 

At Westminster, Thompson was a student leader, serving as Junior Prefect, basketball captain and choir president. “I worked closely with Larry and Ann Gilman for choir,” he recalls. “I was happy to have such wonderful mentors.” The Gilmans were among members of the Westminster community to travel to Washington for George’s 2007 promotion ceremony. 

George studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning an A.S. in business administration and management in 1974, a field that he said was “not his cup of tea.” 

He and his wife, Penny, married in 1975 and by 1977, the couple was living in Philadelphia with their daughter Dorian ’93. “We needed to get out of the city,” said Thompson. “It was not the best environment to raise a child.” The couple decided that a career in military service would best suit their family. 

“I had intended to join the Marines,” Thompson recalls. “But when I arrived at the recruiting station, a Navy sailor was there. I took an entrance exam, got a physical, and soon I was at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill., for basic training.” 

After enlisting, Thompson planned to work in aviation administration, but a chance encounter with a fellow sailor who played French horn with the Naval Academy Band would change the trajectory of his service. “I had no idea the Navy even had a music program,” he said. He was granted an audition, and was assigned to the Naval School of Music and the Navy Band’s “Flagship” ensemble, marking the beginning of his 13 years of service as an enlisted man.

Thompson soon observed that there were a significant number of musicians of color in performance ensembles, but few among senior enlisted ranks and none among officers. When he asked the head of Navy Music why this was the case, he was told that there “hadn’t been anyone qualified.”

“I wanted to effect change in the program, and I knew the only way to do that was to be in a post to do so,” says Thompson. He returned to the Naval School of Music for advanced technical training and embarked on overseas duty, where he gained additional ensemble leadership experience.

As commanding officer, Thompson led operations for the United States Navy Band’s six ensembles, comprised of 170 enlisted musicians who perform in over 270 public concerts and 1,300 military ceremonies each year. One of his most memorable performances was as director of the 7th Fleet Band, which performed for then-President Bill Clinton on his visit to the USS Independence in Japan. He has traveled widely with Penny, Dorian, and son George Thompson III ’98 to duty stations across the United States and overseas.

Through ceremonies, national and regional tours, public concerts and recordings, the U.S. Navy Band aims to inspire patriotism, elevate esprit de corps, enhance Navy awareness and public relations, support recruiting and retention efforts, preserve the nation’s musical heritage and project a positive image at home and abroad.

Since his retirement in 2010, Thompson has stayed musically active, playing at his church and performing as a piano soloist at weddings, dinners and special events. He traveled this summer to participate in a panel of former Navy Band leaders as the unit approaches its 100th anniversary in 2025. He has remained an important part of the Westminster community as a parent, a trustee serving from 2008 to 2010, and now a participant in the Seventh Form, which represents alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. 

In Jacksonville, Fla., where he and Penny now live, Thompson is a volunteer with a faith-based organization, Young Life, that serves middle and high school-aged students, primarily from socioeconomically disadvantaged families. “We meet weekly to share stories, play games and listen to music, and the children dance. We conclude with a 15-minute message introducing kids to Christ,” he says. 

One thing he is not leading is the music selection. He emphasized that the music and dance choices are made by the students, not the adult leaders. “There are so many distractions. Kids aren’t able to be kids. Many of our young people are responsible for caring for younger siblings,” said Thompson. “It’s very rewarding giving back to the community.”