Albert Gray Thompson (Dec 5, 1928 – May 29, 2016) was an American educator and philanthropist. He spent the bulk of his academic career at Marquette University, although he also spent several years teaching and researching in Central America.[1][2] After his retirement in 1988, he and his wife established a small coffee plantation outside Antigua Guatemala. They used the plantation as an educational tool, a fund-raising project (to provide scholarships and employment for local youth), and a tourist destination.

Finca Los Nietos

At his 1988 retirement from Marquette University,[3] Thompson and his wife traveled to the small town of San Lorenzo de Cubo, 7 km southwest of Antigua Guatemala. They reclaimed a patch of mountainous land which had been used as a trash dump, and turned it into a coffee-producing tract. They created small artisanal bags of coffee, selling them to shops in town, shipping them to the States, and giving tours to tourists. They became a cherished part of their small community, sent many Guatemalan girls to school, employed the local teens, became part of the community, and were considered family by many of the locals. In addition to his work on the coffee plantation, Thompson painted,[4] explored silversmithing, and designed the house that they had built on the plantation. He became a self-taught expert on the local fauna, and cultivated several species of orchids.[1]

By 2003 their small plantation boasted 2000 coffee trees, with an annual production of 400 lb (180 kg) of red coffee beans. They also purchased neighbors' crops, and provided a roasted product for market.[3] They sought ways to "localize" their product, bagging their coffee with local weavings, making and affixing small hand-made dolls on the bag cincture, and hiring a woman to hand-dip coffee beans (as well as peanuts and pretzels) in chocolate.[3]

In addition to growing and processing coffee, the Finca became a small cultural center. Beginning in 1996, visitors were invited to enjoy Dr. Thompson's "coffee class". They learned of soil composition, harvesting, processing and roasting coffee; observed the art of orchid growing; and toured gardens with over 150 different flowers, bushes and trees. By 2003, some 4000 visitors had been logged at the center.[3]

In 2008 the project was sold to a Cuban-American family, Raúl and Christina Keilt. The new owners built on the foundation provided by the two decades of effort from the Thompsons, continuing the plantation's reputation as a combination resort/tourist-education site.[5]

Scholarships

In nearby San Antonio Aguas Calientes is the Hermano Pedro Catholic School (K-9th grades). The Thompsons spearheaded a scholarship fund for students, that was used to support 8 girls each year in the school. They also worked with donors from the States to construct a carpentry shop classroom at the school.[3]

Published works

  • Detours: From Classrooms to a Guatemalan Coffee Farm (2003)[6]

Personal

Thompson married Carolyn. They had five children.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gagging for Medals | Bizarro!". Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016. Dan Piraro, Gagging for Medals, July 17, 2016
  2. ↑ In the 1980s, Dr. Thompson received a Fulbright Fellowship, allowing him to study both in Mexico and Guatemala. He and an MU colleague, Dr. Adrian Dupuis, were involved in the Philosophy for Children program; their students were Mexican and Guatemalan teachers who, having been prepared under dictatorships, had to shift their pedagogy during the reconstruction to provide children with more astute critical thinking skills.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Maureen Polczynski, EMERITUS PROFILE: Dr. Albert Thompson, Marquette University Alumni News, Spring 2003
  4. ↑ "Albert G. Thompson: Pop's Paintings - Antigua, Guatemala". 8 August 2009. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016. My Father's Paintings - Studio at the Herrmann-Hinton House, Antigua Guatemala (August 8, 2009)
  5. ↑ Espinoza, Javier (28 January 2011). "Taking Coffee Break in la Antigua, Guatemala - WSJ". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2017. Javier Espinoza, A Coffee Break in Guatemala, The Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2011
  6. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=Ef30l6s2zZ0C&dq=albert+g.+thompson&pg=PA143
  • Finca Los Nietos (Facebook)

14°32′13″N 90°46′16.6″W / 14.53694°N 90.771278°W / 14.53694; -90.771278

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