Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Oct. 12, 1988, edition 1 / Page 7
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Pd. Adv. By John Gamble Campaign er Lawyer George Thomasson Always Has Time, Advice For Hometown George B. Thomasson, popular Kings Mountain lawyer for 35 years, agrees with President Abraham Lincoln who said, ‘A lawyer’s time and advice are his stock in trade.” In fact, Thomasson’s spacious law firm on West Mountain Street in Kings Mountain is decorated with the Lincoln plaque, a picture of President John F. Kennedy and a comical plaque by Shakespeare, ‘‘Let’s kill all the lawyers.” It is also furnished comfortably with two old-timey rocking chairs and opens up into a spacious law library in the renovated suite of offices once occupied by C.E. Warlick Insurance Agency. He shares his of- fices with his administrative assistant Karen Moss and his secretary, Linda Beach. The furnishings reflect his and wife Marion’s love for antiques and for collecting. A beautiful cherry rolltop desk they picked up at an auction in the 1950’s is in the reception area and decorated with decanter collectibles with heads of such statesmen as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere and George Washington. His love for his alma maters, David- son College and Duke University, and his busy ac- tivities with the Kings Mountain Lions Club over many years of living in Kings Mountain are quick- ly observed by the visitor who can have a will awn up, discuss a legal matter and purchase a Lion’s club broom all at the same time. A photograph of George's father, Kings Mountain pioneer Charles F. Thomasson, is atop the rolltop desk in the entrance area and pictures of his wife, Marion, and their daughter, Ann Arthur Thomasson are proudly displayed on his desk. The deer heads prominently mounted on the walls came from a deer hunting trip to Oakland Planta- tion. There is a picture on the wall of his restored 1953 Ford and diplomas and certificates that reflect a busy career. Born and reared in Kings Mountain, George Thomasson graduated from Kings Mountain High School and enrolled at Davidson College in 1941. Uncle Sam interrupted his schooling and about to be drafted he volunteered for the U.S. Army Infan- try and served in France and Germany. The GI Bill helped him graduate from Davidson College in 1948 and from Duke University Law School in 1951. He recalled there were only three women in his graduating class in law school and that bar ex- ams he passed in North Carolina and the District of Columbia each took about three days to com- plete. Bar exams were tough in those days, he recalled. The GI Bill paid his tuition and gave him $75 monthly for living expenses and helped him fulfill a lifelong ambition of his father who manag- ed Elmer Lumber Company, to graduate from law school and pass the bar. His first job was with the U.S. Government in Durham as a contract officer but he wanted to return home and settle down in Kings Mountain, so he hung out his shingle at the former Faison Barnes law office over the old Grif- fin Drug building in 1953. In later years he rented office space from Haywood E. Lynch and also shared second floor office quarters in the Thomasson-Peeler building downtown with tenants like the Kings Mountain Merchants Association and secretary Ida Joy, Dr. N.H. Reed, optometrist, Dr. D.F. Hord, dentist, Dr. W.L. Ramseur, medical doctor, and insurancemen Ben F. Beam. Back in the early days when his was a one-person office, secretaries in the Merchants Association answered ‘his telephone when he was out of the office with a client. ‘““We climbed those steps to those offices for many years and enjoyed a good practice and good relationships with everyone who worked in the various offices,” recalled Thomasson. Later, when redevelopment came to downtown, Thomasson rented space in the new Blazer building but his clients again had to climb steps to the second floor. In 1980 his pre- sent office became available and he asked Gillie Falls and BDF Construction Company to do. the renovation. Marion Thomasson decorated the of- fice. His fourth office downtown in his last and best, he says, because it’s convenient for his clients who can park across the street with easy walking distance on the street level. Unlike the early years when he prosecuted criminal cases in Recorder’s court and handled a variety of cases, his business is busy now as a civil practice and he spends hours each day at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby and Gaston County Cour- SHIRTS TO STUDENTS - Gary Whitaker, right, First Federal Sav- ings & Loan executive, present tee shirts to West School Principal Shirley Bynum and Kindergarten students who will wear them pro- udly at the West School Festival planned for Oct. 22 from 4 until 8 p.m. Students pictured are Front row, Laura Propst, Ian Blanton, Deidrick Thompson; second row, Christopher Bennett, Bess McGin- nis, Mandy Jarrells, Drew Neisler; back row, Emily Welborn, Marylee Dilling, Michael Ingram and Anna Ramey. First Federal has given tee shirts to Kindergarten children in the District Schools for fie a three years. ia NEW DE IDEAS OLD VALUES [LI] COMPETENCE and INTEGRITY Br GC. House Committee, Guy kL Chine dr, Treas. A AA GEORGE B. THOMASSON thouse. He was Kings Mountain’s fourth lawyer when he moved back home, joining veterans J. Roan Davis, Jack H. White and Ector A. Harrill. In recent years the Kings Mountain law communi- ty has had as many as eight lawyers at one time practicing and residing in Kings Mountain. For many years in the 1950’s and 1960’s George Thomasson was on the bench at Kings Mountain Recorder’s Court which used to meet every Mon- day afternoon at 2 p.m. in the old City Hall, now the Kings Mountain Police Department. His prac- tice involved both civil and criminal matters and he replaced Jack H. White on the bench when Senator White went to Raleigh. Judge Thomasson presided at the last court session here on Dec. 2, 1968 when court cases were moved to Shelby District Court. He also served as city attorney for the City of Kings Mountain for 11 1; years. “I enjoy Kings Mountain and Kings Mountain people have been good to me,” he said. Thomasson said he had never regretted his deci- sion to practice law in his own hometown. Clients turn to George for assistance in civil suits, in handling real estate matters and estate deeds and wills and his reputation as a straightforward and honest lawyer has earned their respect. Thomasson has served as both an elder and deacon in First Presbyterian Church, as president of both the Kings Mountain Lion’s Club and Kings Mountain Jaycees and is active in the N.C. Bar Association and N.C. State Bar Association. He is an avid Duke Blue Devil fan who has not seen the Blue Devils begin a 5-0 season before since 1957. He and his wife and Marion’s sister and brother-in-law, Winston and Peggy Miller of Burl- ington, have been following the Blue Devils all season and recently sat with the Duke fans in Knoxville, Tennessee. George thinks this will be Duke's finest season in football: - ped Fishing is also a pastime of George and his friend, Clyde Whetstine back from bluefishing on the Outer Banks, Golfing is another hobby he en- ys. : omiasson has no plans to retire soon. In the near future he plans to welcome a new member of the family, a son-in-law, when he gives his only daughter in marriage. George and Marion Thomasson live on Phifer Road, a short distance from town and often ride in his 1953 vintage car.” I really feel younger today than I ever have and enjoy life and Kings Moun- tain more than ever,” he said. Thomasson’s sense of humor is also reflected in- his office furnishings and perhaps accounts for his success in the business and for the fact he has no gray hair. 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The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Oct. 12, 1988, edition 1
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