Mays community remembers impact of Professor Emeritus Herbert G. Thompson Jr.

Herbert G. Thompson Jr., Professor Emeritus of Marketing at Texas A&M University, died Feb. 16, 2016 at age 94.

At his graveside service Feb. 20 at the College Station Cemetery, family, former students and friends were invited to tell stories about him. His survivors include four children, 12 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Thompson was a professor at Texas A&M from 1951 to 1985. He was recruited to help build what was then the Department of Business, and was part of the team to create the College of Business, which is now named Mays Business School.Thompson served as the head of marketing, and recruited talented academia to build the new business school. Under the guidance of President James Earl Rudder, he helped with the selection of the first dean of the school of business and worked toward the school’s accreditation by American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.

Thompson was born in Hamilton, Ohio, as one of nine children. He was the first in his extended family to graduate from high school, then enrolled at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (Miami of Ohio). WWII caused him to enlist in the Air Force, then he was honorably discharged upon completion of his service after the war. He returned to Ohio and completed his bachelor’s degree from Miami of Ohio, then obtained an MBA.

While at Texas A&M, Thompson received several teaching awards:

–        Outstanding Teaching Award – Texas A&M College of Business 1969-70

–        Standard Oil Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching Performance at Texas A&M 1969-70

–        Outstanding Teacher – College of Business, Texas A&M 1975-76

–        Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching  – Texas A&M Association of Former Students 1979

–        Outstanding Teacher – College of Business, Texas A&M 1982-83

–        Distinguished Service Award – Texas A&M Marketing Society 1984

–        Distinguished Service Award – Texas A&M College of Business 1985

–        Dean’s Distinguished Award – William Mobley, Dean of Texas A&M College of Business 1985

–        Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University – Board of Regents, Texas A&M University System 1985