James R. Thompson
- Class Year
- 1968
- Award Year
- 2000
- Degree
- ARCO
- Profession
- Construction
- Biography
- Jim Thompson 68 (ARCO) received a Bachelors Degree in Architectural Construction from Texas A&M. Following graduation, he joined the United States Air Force and served as an instructor pilot until 1973.
After 10 years in the construction field, he founded James R. Thompson, Inc. (JRT), a commercial general contracting firm with offices in Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Houston. James R. Thompson, Inc. celebrated 28 years in January 2011. The firm is well known for its construction of commercial interiors, renovation and ground up buildings. To date, James R. Thompson, Inc. has received 20 TEXO & QUOIN Summit Awards and 8 AGC State Awards for excellence in construction.
Jim served on the Kaufman ISD School Board for 15 years and helped found the Kaufman ISD Scholarship Foundation. He is a former trustee of the Texas Association of School Boards as well as the Kaufman County Appraisal District.
He is a member of Texas A&Ms Construction Industry Advisory Council, Chancellors Century Council, A&M Legacy Society, Presidents Board of Visitors, Corps of Cadets Association and the 12th Man Foundations Advisory Board. He recently completed serving five years on the board of directors of the Association of Former Students. In 2000, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Architecture and was recently inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor.
Thompson has funded a Presidents Endowed Scholarship, two Sul Ross Endowed Scholarships, a Construction Science Endowed Scholarship, and a Corps 21 Endowed Scholarship.
As a cadet, Thompson was Commanding Officer of Squadron 4, First Platoon Leader of the Ross Volunteers, and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He and his wife, Donna Beth, have three sons, Lance, Ryan 95 and Cody 01.
