2006 WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Agnes G. Doody, Ph.D. | Carolyn Petreccia | O. Rogeriee Thompson
Wheelworks Women's Cycling Team | Rev. Katherine Miranda Soares | Robin

SOCIAL SERVICE

O. Rogeriee Thompson
Associate Justice
Rhode Island Superior Court

Raised in the segregated South at a time when African Americans were deemed by many to be unequal in ability and unworthy of accessing the basic freedoms and opportunities available to others, Judge Thompson left her South Carolina community determined to grasp the fundamental principles of spiritual and intellectual freedom and hard work. She did so by earning her undergraduate degree at Brown University and her Juris Doctorate from the Boston University School of Law. She also holds honorary degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Bryant College.

In 1997, Judge Thompson became the first African American woman to serve as an Associate Justice for the Rhode Island Superior Court. Previous to that, she served as an Associate Judge with the Rhode Island District Court for nine years. In addition to her work in the courts, Judge Thompson has served and continues to serve on several committees and boards including the Nelli Mae Education Foundation, the RI Children's Crusade for Higher Education, and Dorcas Place.

Judge Thompson has been the recipient of many awards recognizing her efforts to better the community around her. Recently, she was honored by the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society with the William A. Heathman Award for Law and Justice and by the Providence Branch of the NAACP with the Thurgood Marshall Award. (back to top)