300^pl| 01. SIf0mpH0n 
 
Joseph C. Thompson 
 
 A (Urtbutp 
 
 Printed by order of the 
 
 Board of Directors of the Departments under 
 
 The Civil Administrative Code 
 
 of the State of Illinois 
 
 Springfield 
 1920 
 

 ti. •t », 
 
 JUL t \y2'i 
 
Joseph C. Thompson 
 
 Joseph C. Thompson was Director of Mines 
 and Minerals of the State of Illinois from 
 November, 1918, until his death on Monday, 
 April 12, 1920. He was born August 4, 1857, 
 at Sherburn Hill, County Durham, England. 
 Before he was seven years of age both of his 
 parents died and he was left to fight life's battle 
 alone. At the age of ten he entered the mines 
 as a trapper boy. An eager ambition led him 
 to improve his spare moments in study. He 
 paid particular attention to mining and, in time, 
 graduated as a Mining Engineer from Ruther- 
 ford College at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Later he 
 made special investigations of mine gases at the 
 University of Edinburg, Scotland. His super- 
 ior skill secured for him positions of importance 
 in the English mining fields. He made several 
 visits to America and, in July, 1906, brought 
 his family from England and settled in Southern 
 Illinois, where he lived until his removal to 
 Springfield in January, 1919. He held a number 
 of positions as a mining engineer until he be- 
 came a State inspector of mines, in which ca- 
 pacity he was employed when he succeeded his 
 friend, the late Evan John, as Director of 
 Mines and Minerals. On more than one occa- 
 sion he faced death in mine disasters as he 
 sought to save others, even at the risk of losing 
 his own life. His whole career was marked by 
 steadfast devotion to the industry of mining to 
 which he attached himself in boyhood as his life 
 work. In 1877 he married Miss Mary Jane 
 Dixon, who bore him twelve children, eleveu of 
 whom, six sons and five daughters, grew to 
 maturity. He was baptized in the Church of 
 England, but, on his removal to America, affil- 
 
iated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 He was a member of the Knights of Pythias 
 and of the Masonic order, with whose beautiful 
 and impressive burial service he was laid to 
 rest in Oak Eidge Cemetery in Springfield. His 
 life stands forth as a remarkable illustration 
 of human possibilities, when one follows the 
 long trail taken by the orphan lad of England 
 until, in a country strange to his kindred, he 
 became the administrative head of a State de- 
 partment. Funeral services were held in the 
 First Methodist Episcopal Church of Spring- 
 field on April 15, 1920, the pastor. Rev. Thomas 
 Newell Ewing, being in charge. 
 
From the Governor 
 
 The State has indeed suffered a serious loss 
 in the death of Director Joseph C. Thompson. 
 Thoroughly trained in his profession, of great 
 practical experience, he was peculiarly equip- 
 ped to discharge the duties of his important 
 office. His zeal and devotion and courage made 
 his administration of the office of Director of 
 Mines and Minerals singularly successful. The 
 State owes Director Thompson much. His as- 
 sociates will miss him greatly. 
 
 Fkank O. Lowden. 
 
From the Directors 
 
 In his relatively brief term of service as 
 Director of Mines and Minerals, Mr. Thompson 
 gained the hearty esteem and the warm friend- 
 ship of his associates in the administration of 
 Governor Lowden. His genial personality was 
 marked by a pleasing manner of address, his 
 face lighting up with a gracious cordiality as 
 he greeted his co-workers or, in conference with 
 them, gave expression to his well-matured ideas. 
 His trained mind enabled him to set forth his 
 views with notable clearness and with concise- 
 ness of language. His opinions always carried 
 weight, based, as they were, upon careful con- 
 sideration and logical analysis of the subject 
 under discussion. A friendly soul made itself 
 manifest in a fine spirit which won and held 
 the confidence of his fellows. Faithful in the 
 performance of all his tasks, he was an excellent 
 administrator. Interested in mining during his 
 entire lifetime, he gave to it the best he had in 
 him. His work was his joy. His increased 
 responsibilities, as he grew older, only quick- 
 ened his sincere desire to serve well his day 
 and generation. The praise of those who knew 
 him best follows him along memory's pathway. 
 
 Francis W. Shepardson, 
 
 Committee. 
 
From the Minister 
 
 We turn instinctively to look back over the 
 years to the boyhood of an orphan boy, left in 
 England vrithont father or mother l>efore he 
 had reached seven years of age, and when we 
 think of the attainments of Sie lifetime that 
 followed we wonder how it came to be. Forced, 
 as he was, to go to work at the age of ten to help 
 to make a living for himself and others, it was 
 only by the most stndions application at odd 
 times that he was able to so enlarge his fnnd 
 of knowledge and develop the latent resonrces 
 of his mind as to fit himself for the responsible 
 positions which he successively held. And 
 whUe we wonder at the attainments of this life 
 we are quite sure many forces conspired to- 
 gether to make them ]X)ssible. Parentage, even 
 though parental care was largely missins" on 
 account of imtimely death, must have played a 
 determicdng part: there is no doubt also that 
 the wise counsel of elder friends and relatives 
 helped : and yet beyond all of these it is accord- 
 ing to our doctrine of the wisdom and kindness 
 of the providence of God to believe that this 
 «iivine guidance had more to do with it than 
 anything else. So I have chosen to speak of 
 the words of the Psalmist (Psahn 73:23-24), 
 *'Thou hast holden my right hand. Thou wilt 
 guide me with thy counsel. And afterward re- 
 ceive me to glory.'' J. C. Thompson was a 
 firm believer in the wisdom and providence of 
 God. His favorite hymn, ''Jesus, Lover of My 
 Soul," suggests at once the secret of his relig- 
 ious life and his life-time success. He believed 
 in looking to God for the wise ordering of Ms 
 life so that it would bring the best result^ to 
 himself and his fellowman. He lived to make 
 
working conditions of his fellow miners safer 
 and more sanitary. He was devoted to a great 
 mission of practical helpfulness. He was a 
 successful administrator of practical affairs be- 
 cause he was an earnest student and a devout 
 Christian. And there is nothing we can think 
 or say that is of greater comfort to those who 
 mourn his loss the most deeply than this word 
 that he who knew the wisdom of divine guidance 
 in this life is assured of divine guidance all tlie 
 way through the dark valley of the shadow into 
 which, sooner or later, we shall all be called. 
 God, who guided him with his counsel, has 
 promised also to receive him into glory. 
 
 Thomas N. Ewing. 
 
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