Posting Date: October 13, 2008
Professor Emeritus Thomson Salter passes away
By Cheryl Anderson Brown
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Contributions to Thomson Salter's memory may be made to the Thomson Salter–Salova King Art Scholarship at Kennesaw State. To give online, click here; in the notes field, please indicate that you wish to have your gift directed to the Salter-King Scholarship. If you wish to discuss your memorial gift, please call 770-499-3129. |
Read tributes to Thomson Salter from colleagues and students. |
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or photos of Thomson Salter. |
Professor Emeritus M. Thomson Salter, 82, passed away in his sleep on Oct. 5. A member of the founding of Kennesaw State University (then Kennesaw Junior College) in 1966, Salter retired in 1990 after serving as chair of the Department of Visual Arts. (View catalog from Thomson Salter's 1990 solo exhibition. PDF)
Wayne Gibson, retired chair of the music department, who joined the in 1972, remembers Salter as a "gentleman and a gentle man." The two had offices next door to each other in the old Humanities Building (now English Building). "In the Humanities Division in those days, there were about a dozen English professors and one each of the rest of us," Gibson said. (Read Gibson's tribute)
Retired English Professor Don Russ said that many of the from the division used to carpool together. "Before the completion of I-75, we had to take a lot of different little byways to get to the campus." (Read Russ' tribute)
In addition to the warm friendships Salter formed with his colleagues, he also had great relationships with his students, who truly admired his mentorship and advice.
"He was a wonderful teacher and great friend," said Matthew McCoy (art, 1993). McCoy stayed in contact with Salter through the years and visited him during his final illness. "It is a very sad day," McCoy said on the morning of the memorial service.
Graduate Virginia Dauth (art, 1994) regretted not being able to attend the memorial because she lives out of state, but she wrote to send her condolences. "One of the greatest perks of taking his Painting I class was that, at the end of the quarter, he invited the classs to his Atlanta home for our finals presentation, art discussion and view his wonderful collection of art pieces he had gathered through the years." (Read Dauth's tribute)
Methvin Thomson Salter III was born in Atlanta in 1925. Following a tour of duty in the U.S. Army, he returned to Georgia and completed Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees at the University of Georgia. Before coming to Kennesaw, he taught at Wardlaw Junior High School in South Carolina, LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Ga., and Southwest High School in Atlanta. He also served as an arts administrator for three years for the Atlanta Public Schools.
As an artist, Salter worked in watercolor, oils, ceramics collage and textiles. His art was displayed at the High Museum, South Carolina Museum of Art, Gertrude Herbert Art Institute, McIntosh Gallery, the Governor of Georgia's office and elsewhere. As an arts patron, he was a member of several local and regional arts organizations and served as membership secretary of the Southeastern Art Education Association and president of the Georgia Art Education Association. He also helped operate Atlanta's Artists Associate Gallery in the 1960s and 1970s. For a complete obituary, please click here.