He has been dubbed “Mr. Indianapolis,” a lofty designation for any community member, 更不用说居住在美国最大城市之一的个人了. In the case of Milt Thompson ’76, however, the term fits.

He has done so many things. He knows so many people. And the best news? He’s just getting started.

表彰汤普森为丰富他的社区所做的不懈努力, he recently accepted the Charles L. Whistler Award, 表彰那些为印第安纳波利斯社区做出非凡公共服务的个人. It is the latest award on a phenomenal list, 从职业和运动成就到公民奉献和慈善领导.

A 1998 Wittenberg 体育运动 Hall of Honor 由于他出色的大学棒球生涯以及大学董事会和校友委员会的荣誉退休成员，他成为了一名正式会员, 汤普森很快就将其个人和职业抱负的培养归功于他的母校.

“维滕贝格给了我难以置信的四年，我无法想象没有这四年的生活,” said Thompson, 从维滕伯格大学毕业后被巴尔的摩金莺队选中，却选择了法律职业. “She nurtured me and gave me academic, 体育和艺术方面的机会对于一个来自印第安纳波利斯的年轻黑人来说是无法获得的. She inspired me to go to law school, and not just any law school, 而是全国最好的法学院之一，位于布卢明顿的印第安纳大学毛雷尔法学院.

“That helped me launch an exciting and enjoyable career. Looking back, 我可以毫不含糊地说，作为一名全美棒球运动员和威滕贝格大学的学生运动员，我的经历增强了我作为一名职业运动员的信心，并使我相信我可以与任何人竞争.”

作为一名成功的检察官，汤普森被公认为“印第安纳州超级律师”.他曾担任毛雷尔法学院访问委员会主席和校友会主席, 他还被选入了法学院校友协会.

In 1987, 汤普森是将来自47个国家的运动员带到印第安纳波利斯的泛美运动会的总法律顾问, 10年后，他成为新成立的中央印第安纳社区基金会的首任主席. 他还担任过Big Brothers and Big Sisters的执行董事, as a commissioner for the Hoosier Lottery, a member of the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board, the Tourism Board of 访问 Indy, and the English Foundation, and he was given the Business & 华盛顿的国家黑人慈善中心颁发的慈善奖.C.

汤普森现在是Bleeke Dillon Crandall律师事务所的法律顾问，也是Grand Slam的总裁兼首席执行官, 一个体育, entertainment, and recreation planning and management consulting firm. He is the co-founder of Indiana RBI, 美国职业棒球大联盟(Major League Baseball)为振兴内陆城市而设立的项目，并为有危险的青少年提供打棒球的机会, and Play Ball Indiana, which also supports youth baseball in the inner city.

最重要的是，汤普森被印第安纳波利斯的许多体育迷称为“好声音”.他在ESPN 950主持一个名为“为保持而战”的每周广播节目,这个节目现在也可以在电视上观看, and on the Internet via the station’s YouTube channel.

就像每一个印第安纳波利斯社区成员都是汤普森珍爱的家庭成员一样. In many ways, 他在维滕贝格的第一次亲身体验为他与家乡的关系奠定了基础.

“Mother Witt has always had a special place in my heart. 直到亲生母亲去世，我才认识她。. “As she lay on her death bed, 她说, ”米特, why don’t you go to that nice Christian college in 俄亥俄州?’ So my Dad and I visited the campus on a Sunday afternoon, and he promptly locked the keys in the car.

“但还没等八方体育官网入口恐慌，八方体育官网入口就被友好的面孔和提供的帮助淹没了. A locksmith arrived and saved the day – an almost perfect day. 我已经找到了我的新家，很容易就做出了来维滕贝格的决定. My Dad felt I would be taken care of, and my Mom felt peace. How true that was.”

汤普森说，在他与威登堡的整个经历中，他都感受到那种温暖的拥抱. He sums it up with a tale of a professor’s generosity:

“一天下课后，我的哲学教授让我留下来. 他示意我走到他办公室的窗口，看看停车场和一辆相当破旧的旅行车. ‘You see that car?”他问. I said yes, and he replied ‘that is my old car. How would you like to borrow it for a while? You can take it anywhere you want to go. Just bring it back when you are 读y to take my logic class.“我做了, 鲍勃·朗教授对我的个人情况很感兴趣, and became my mentor and friend, and even came to my wedding. He became a protector … just like Mother Witt.”