The University of Massachusetts Amherst's center in downtown Springfield now bears the name of one of its biggest advocates.
“Today, we're here to recognize Henry Thomas III, a leader whose passion and commitment to young people have had a profound and lasting effect and impact on the University of Massachusetts and his home city of Springfield,” said UMass President Marty Meehan Tuesday.
Among more than half-a-dozen speakers, Meehan praised the legacy of Thomas during a special dedication ceremony Tuesday, recognizing the former longtime head of the Springfield Urban League and now namesake of the university’s center in his hometown.
Previously the Urban League affiliate’s president and CEO for decades – part of some 50 years of community service - Thomas also served on the UMass Board of Trustees for 13 years, where he advocated expanding the university’s footprint in the City of Homes.
It worked – by 2014, the university opened a 26,000-square-foot center in the city’s center, offering programs and classes in Tower Square. Ten years later, he and his family were on hand for its formal renaming in his honor.
Meehan called the now-retired Thomas “unwavering” in his pursuit of UMass being “a force for good throughout the Commonwealth.”
“It was Henry's deep appreciation for the impact that UMass has on its students and its communities that fueled his determination to bring UMass to the heart of this community,” the university president said.
During his time on the board, Thomas spent three years as its chair - the first person of color to do so.
An advocate for youth programs, he and the Urban League have also been credited with running and improving Camp Atwater in North Brookfield, the oldest African American youth camp in the country.
Having grown up with him, Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal of the 1st district described Thomas as tireless.
“His work at the Urban League deserves high praise, often against long odds, he once again persevered, bringing about a significant change in the Mason Square neighborhood today, when you when you consider the challenges that were faced there,” the former mayor of Springfield said.
Thomas’s daughter, Dr. Shadae Harris, said throughout his career, her father always asked the same, "essential" questions.
"... how do we build a better future for youth, and how do we make sure everyone has access to the transformative power of education? These questions have driven his work, shaping dedication to justice in every space he has occupied,” Harris said.
According to the university, the center offers “economic development opportunities” and includes a teacher certification graduate program.
Thomas has also been credited with advocating for the UMass Chan Medical School’s establishment of a Springfield campus in 2016 - part of a collaboration with Baystate Health.
He would depart the UMass Board of Trustees in 2020, and retire from his role at the Urban League a few years later, decades after becoming the youngest president and CEO of a National Urban League affiliate in 1974 at the age of 25.
