Honoring ‘Doc’

By Jim Muir

For more than 50 years William “Doc” Harvey worked as a veterinarian in Thompsonville, sometimes being paid and sometimes not, but always doing his job without fanfare.  And during that same five-plus decades Harvey was a pillar of the small Franklin County community, serving on the school board, the village board while carrying the label as the Thompsonville Tigers most loyal fan.

Leon McClerren, president of the Thompsonville school board, presents a plaque to Ruthy Harvey, widow of Dr. William Harvey during Blue-White Night at Thompsonville High School.

On Saturday night community and school leaders paused to offer a collective ‘thank-you’ to Harvey, who passed away last May at the age of 82.

During a ceremony at the high school’s annual Blue-White Night it was officially announced that the gymnasium at the high school will be named the William “Doc” Harvey Gymnasium.  During the ceremony that was held between the annual Alumni Game and a scrimmage of this year’s Tigers’ team, school board president Leon McClerren presented a plaque to Harvey’s widow Ruthy.  A replica of the same plaque will be displayed in the gym lobby near the entrance.  The lettering spelling out the gym’s new name was mounted on the outside of the gym last week.

Ruthy was at a loss for words when asked what her late husband would think of the dedication in his honor.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said immediately following the ceremony.  “If he was here he would know just what to say and it would probably be funny.”

Harvey graduated from Thompsonville High School in 1945 where he participated in multiple sports.  Following high school he went to college, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War as a medic, and then went back to college to become a veterinarian.  He then returned to Thompsonville and ran his practice almost right up to the time that he passed away last May.

McClerren, who served with Harvey on the school board, said the recognition was well-deserved.

“Doc was a pillar of this community forever,” said McClerren.  “He gave so much back to the community is so many ways.  He did what he did, not to be recognized, but to make Thompsonville a better place to live, work and attend school.  He took care of people’s pets and if they could pay it was fine and if they couldn’t pay it was fine.  And he did it all without fanfare, he really cared about Thompsonville.”

Chris Grant, who serves as superintendent at Thompsonville, said once the board started entertaining ideas about naming the gymnasium the choice was obvious and unanimous.

“Except for his time at college and in the Air Force Dr. Harvey spent his entire life here in Thompsonville,” said Grant.  “And the entire time he was here he served the community in a variety of ways.”

John Robinson, assistant principal at Thompsonville, provided a story that he believed summed up the Harvey’s commitment to Thompsonville and the various sports’ programs. Robinson pointed out that Bill and Ruthy, who were the school’s unofficial No. 1 fans, did not have children but were both always present at sporting events – even on the road.

“A few years back we were playing a basketball game down at Pope County and it was a bad night, cold and wet,” Robinson said. “And I look up and Bill and Ruth are at the game.  They had no other reason to be there except to support the school and the athletes.  That says a lot about the kind of people they are and their support for all-things Thompsonville.”