Hall of Fame

As head of Ohio's Delaware County Fair, Hank Thomson was the co-founder, with 1975 Immortal Joseph Neville, of harness racing's pacing classic, The Little Brown Jug, a race which has grown from its inaugural $35,359 purse in 1946 to over $500,000. Born and raised in Delaware, Ohio, Thomson had no experience in the sport prior to his relationship with the Fair. He was the editor and publisher of the Delaware Gazette, the oldest continuing family-owned newspaper in the nation. During his many years' association with harness racing, he served in several leadership and executive capacities, including The Little Brown Jug Society and the Grand Circuit. He was president of the Ohio Fair Managers Association and was one of the founders of the Pacing Triple Crown. Among his many awards was his 1989 induction into The Living Hall of Fame. Hank Thomson died in Delaware on January 24, 1994.

Pubished in the Harness Racing Museum's book, "The Immortals" (1995)