Ernest O. Thompson
| Ernest Othmer Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Amarillo, Potter County, Texas, USA | |
|
In office 1929–1932 |
|
| Preceded by | Lee Bivins |
| Succeeded by | Ross D. Rogers |
| Texas Railroad Commissioner | |
|
In office January 1, 1933 – January 11, 1965 |
|
| Preceded by | Pat Morris Neff |
| Succeeded by | Byron M. Tunnell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 24, 1892 Alvord, Wise County, Texas, USA |
| Died | June 28, 1966 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
(1) May Peterson Thompson (1924-1952, her death) |
| Children | No children |
| Occupation | Businessman; Attorney; Oil expert |
(1) May Peterson Thompson (1924-1952, her death)
Ernest Othmer Thompson (March 24, 1892– June 28, 1966) was a general in the United States Army during World War I, a mayor of Amarillo, Texas, an attorney, a businessman (hotels, office buildings, and oil), and a 32-year member of the Texas Railroad Commission. He was recognized as an authority on petroleum and natural gas production and conservation.
Thompson was born to Lewis Oliver Thompson and the former Flora Lee Agnes Murray in Alvord in Wise County in what is now in the northwestern portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. When he was ten, his family moved to Amarillo, where the senior Thompson, operated a drug store. Thompson was already a successful entrepreneur even as a teenager. He graduated from Amarillo High School and attended Virginia Military Institute, and later the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a law degree. While at UT, he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.
During the Great War, Thompson became an expert in machine-gun tactics. In the Meuse-Argonne campaign, he worked out a mass machine-gun firing technique and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel, having received a battlefield promotion from General John J. Pershing. At twenty-six, he was the youngest lieutenant colonel in the Army. After the cessation of hostilities, Thompson remained in Europe to direct the stockpiling of German weapons with the Army of Occupation.
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