Horace Thompson studied engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and received his Bachelor’s degree and JD from Tulane University, in New Orleans. From 1968 through 1980 Thompson was a member of the Labor Law Section of the New Orleans-based law firm, Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre. From 1979 to 1984 he served as Management Co-Chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee American Bar Section on Labor and Employment Law. He also co-edited the ABA Treatise on OSHA Law (BNA, 1983), and contributed each year of its publication to the ABA/BNA Treatise on International Labor Law. In addition, Thompson co-founded the New Orleans-based Labor Relations and Employment law firm McCalla, Thompson, Pyburn & Ridley, also participating from 1980 to 2000 as a member of its management committee. From 2002 through 2006 he was an attorney at Watkins, Ludlam, Winter & Stennis, where he served as Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group.

 

Thompson contributed to the Robert Dole for President campaign in 1995; the Dole-Kemp Compliance Committee in 1996; the Republican National Committee in 2004; the Senate campaign for Republican David Vitter in Louisiana in 2004; Democrat Charlie Melancon Jr’.s Congressional campaign in Louisiana in 2004. President Bush chose Thompson to be a member of the OSHRC effective June 9, 2006, and chairman beginning June 20, 2007. He was replaced as chairman by President Obama, but remained on the Commission. In 2008, Thompson contributed to John McCain’s presidential campaign.

Official Bio