As state revenue commissioner, Melvin E. Thompson recommended the purchase of Jekyll Island, and as governor he moved forward with the state's acquisition of the island in 1947. Although taunted by his political foe Herman Talmadge, who dubbed the project "Thompson’s Folly," Thompson refused to give up on the creation of a state beach park for the "plain people of Georgia." In recognition of his work on the project, the Jekyll Island Bridge was named in his honor in 1989.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia does not hold the copyright for this media resource and can neither grant nor deny permission to republish or reproduce the image online or in print. Requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource may need to be submitted to the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia.
