▁County . ▁ ▁Thompson ▁graduated ▁from ▁Iowa ▁Business ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁and ▁the ▁Dra ke ▁University ▁Law ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁While ▁still ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁Dra ke , ▁he ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁newly ▁founded ▁Iowa ▁State ▁B yst ander ▁from ▁original ▁publish er ▁William ▁Co al son ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁He ▁stayed ▁in ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁following ▁years , ▁he ▁turned ▁the ▁newspaper ▁into ▁a ▁successful ▁enter prise ▁by ▁organ izing ▁ag gress ive ▁subscription ▁drives ▁and ▁threatened ▁boy cot ts ▁against ▁business es ▁that ▁refused ▁to ▁advert ise ▁in ▁a ▁black ▁newspaper . ▁During ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁Thompson ▁dedicated ▁entire ▁issues ▁of ▁the ▁B yst ander ▁to ▁issues ▁surrounding ▁the ▁Buff alo ▁Sold ier ▁reg iments ▁station ed ▁in ▁Iowa ' s ▁Camp ▁D odge . ▁After ▁Arm ist ice , ▁Thompson ▁met ▁many ▁returning ▁black ▁veter ans , ▁including ▁James ▁B . ▁Morris . ▁Morris ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁B yst ander ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁journal ism , ▁Thompson ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Ma ud ▁Wat kins - Th om pson , ▁were ▁active ▁in ▁I owan ▁society . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁deput y ▁county ▁tre as urer ▁in ▁Pol k ▁County , ▁Iowa ▁( dates ▁unknown ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁deput y ▁cl erk ▁of ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Historical ▁building . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9