An exhibit focused on the life and work of Stanley Thompson is on display in the McLaughlin Library’s Exhibit Room. Titled “Old Courses, New Discoveries: Expanding Our Knowledge of Stanley Thompson’s Life and Work Through Archival Research,” this exhibit is the result of a research project conducted by archival and special collections staff and members of the Stanley Thompson Society.
Stanley Thompson and his ties to U of G
Stanley Thompson was born in Toronto in 1893. In his youth, he and his four brothers, Nicol, Frank, Matt, and Bill, were avid golf players and were drawn to the game’s rising stature on the Canadian sports scene. Thompson studied at the Ontario Agricultural College and served in the First World War as lieutenant in the Canadian artillery.
After the First World War, he joined his eldest brother Nichol, and Toronto Golf Club professional George Cumming, in a business partnership in golf course design and construction. By 1921, Thompson had set his own course and prepared to enter a career as a golf course architect. Between the First and Second World Wars, Thompson and his associates designed, remodeled, or constructed more than 140 golf courses in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and South America.
Uncovering more about Thompson’s life
The McLaughlin Library maintains an extensive collection of design drawings, letters, business records, photographs and other materials by, or about Thompson, yet there is much that is still unknown about his life. Throughout 2026, the library’s Archival & Special Collections staff and members of the Stanley Thompson Society, embarked on a project to find and identify Thompson-related records that might be housed in other archival collections throughout North America. The exhibit highlights some of the findings of this research project, bringing to life stories of courses that were never built, or nearly so, and helps connect points in Thompson’s life in Toronto and Guelph.
What you can expect to see
The exhibit includes reproductions of golf course blueprints, technical correspondence and news articles, paired with old photographs from the U of G’s collection. “The photographs of Stanley Thompson and his family bring the textual and design records to life,” said Melissa Cameron, co-curator.
The exhibit is on display in the McLaughlin Library’s Exhibit Room until the end of July. Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibit during library business hours.
Want to explore more?
Search the library’s archival catalogue to learn more about Stanley Thompson.
Questions?
Contact us. We’re here to help.
License
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