Hannis Thompson - Office of Professional Practice - Purdue University

Thompson, raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, served in the United States Navy from 1947-51 and was flew with NASA astronaut Alan Shepard. He attended North Carolina State University to study electrical engineering and received a bachelor’s degree in 1953 and a master’s in 1959. Thompson then traveled to Purdue University for his PhD, which he completed in 1963.

Thompson joined the then-named School of Electrical Engineering faculty at Purdue University in 1963. He worked with Steve Sample in developing the honors program within electrical engineering. During Thompson's teaching career, he taught a wide range of students from sophomores to graduate students. His courses mainly focused on circuits and solid state devices. Thompson was professor and the assistant head of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering during the last 14 years of his academic career. Upon retirement in 1996, he received a professor emeritus title. Thompson’s students liked to call him a “triple threat” because of his passion for being a pilot, sailing in the Caribbean and skiing in the Colorado Rockies.

Purdue experience

Thompson served as co-op coordinator for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 1979-1988.