Kentucky New Era
May 10, 2004

Publicity Flyer (PDF)

HOPKINSVILLE -- When Pam Thomas and her two sisters wanted to find something unique for their mother, Frances G. Thomas, on Mother's Day, Round Table Park was the ready answer.

Frances Thomas, a 31-year teacher at Hopkinsville Community College, was the spearhead for the Round Table Literary Magazine and Round Table Park in the northeast corner of the campus on North Drive.

Her daughters, Pamela J. Thomas, of Henderson; Debbie T. James, of Peachtree City, Ga., and Francie W. Thomas, of Ellijay, Ga., came up with a unique mother's day gift - a $6,000 gift to establish a Frances G. Thomas Round Table Literary Park Endowment.

This endowment will help support the preservation and enhancement of the park.

The sisters knew of their mother's love for the park and the Round Table tradition that was started by their mother.

"It's my second home and you'll see me sitting around the park," said Thomas, who taught creative writing at the college since its founding in 1965. She retired in 1996, but her love for teaching has always been a strong influence for her daughters.

"She's always been the quintessential teacher with our home life," said Pam Thomas, who looks on the endowment as a fitting tribute to their mother.

"She taught us all how to read and write and draw before we started school," she said.

This endowment will support the use of the park by elementary, middle and high school students, college students and local civic groups.

When word of the endowment spread, other investors added more than $4,000 to the project, pushing the financial total to over $10,000.

Francis Thomas' love for teaching reached back to when she was a child growing up on a farm in Christian County.

"When she was eight or nine years old, her family had a tobacco farm and she would come out and teach the farm workers to read and write," said Pamela.

The actual park was created in 1974 and Thomas was the creative force behind the activity at the community college.

"I had this image that we should have a round table since we were reading about King Arthur and the round table at the time," said Thomas, She took the image to Dr. Thomas L. Riley, the college's president.

"He said that they didn't have any money to give me, but he would be behind me, totally," said Thomas.

She said the endowment from her daughters in her name was a "total surprise."

The Round Table Literary Park features a facsimile of King Arthur's Sword in the Stone. A replica of the round table was added in 1975. It serves as the home for the annual Round Table Literary Awards and unveiling of the new literary magazine.

Editor's note: Jason D. Warren, former Advancement Officer for the Hopkinsville Community College, also furnished information for this article.