The late Otis Thompson, Jr. (ME’36) managed to earn his Purdue degree, yet he only paid tuition once. The catch? He had to be perfect.
Semester after semester, Thompson pushed himself to earn all Hs—the top grade back then—because the reward each time was another tuition-free semester of school.
“I always thought my grandpa was an incredible person,” says Jodie Hardesty (HHS’96), Thompson’s granddaughter. “Nearly a century later, his grit and determination continue to shape our Boilermaker family.”
This strong family legacy wouldn’t have been possible if Thompson hadn’t recognized his own potential.
Originally from Elkhart, Indiana, Thompson faced a difficult childhood marked by an unkind stepmother who insisted that he lacked intelligence—though that couldn’t have been further from the truth. After high school, Thompson worked as a draftsman for three years, saving up enough money to pay for one semester at Purdue.
Upon starting school in January of 1933, he rented a room at a boarding house on Grant Street and earned money for his stay by tutoring, working in food service at the Purdue Memorial Union, and doing chores for the other boarders.
Thompson’s stepmother warned him that he would not be welcomed home—his punishment for “wasting money” on a college education. Sure enough, when he attempted to visit home during a break, he was locked outside.
He was forced to sleep on the front porch.
“My grandpa put himself through school with very little—and very little support—but he had a high level of motivation to achieve his goals,” Hardesty says. “He was in ROTC for a while and wore his uniform a lot in the wintertime because it was the warmest clothing he had.”
Despite his hardships, Thompson excelled academically with a rigorous course load—23 and two-thirds credit hours during his final semester—and graduated in three and a half years.
“He didn’t have a lot of spare time, but he enjoyed Purdue,” Hardesty says. “He made lifelong friends and later traveled to visit them. He took photographs of campus buildings, and on the backs of them, he wrote what classes he had in those buildings and who the professors were.”
Thompson’s Purdue education was certainly not a waste. He began his career as a design engineer at Shell Oil Company and ultimately retired from Amoco Corporation as a manager of design engineering. His technical expertise even took him to Washington, DC, during World War II, where he was one of four engineers selected to serve on the Petroleum Administration for War under President Franklin Roosevelt.
A true, diligent Boilermaker in every endeavor, Thompson earned the Sagamore of the Wabash award—one of the highest civilian honors given by the governor of Indiana—for serving 12 years on the state’s Boiler and Pressure Vessel Board.
“When my grandfather spoke, I wanted to listen because I knew I was going to learn something from him,” Hardesty says. “I knew that if he thought Purdue was great, he couldn’t be wrong. I didn’t even apply to any other colleges.”
Thompson’s legacy runs deep. His three daughters—one of whom is Hardesty’s mother, Joyce Herring (EDU’64, MS PNW’72)—graduated from Purdue. Twelve of Thompson’s direct descendants have attended Purdue, including Hardesty’s daughter, Anna, a current senior and proud fourth-generation Boilermaker.
“Purdue is our school,” Hardesty says. “It’s woven into our family’s history.”
“Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue” is inspired by the powerful words of Purdue’s fight song, recognizing those who came before. If you have a Purdue hero in your life, we want to hear from you—share your story for an opportunity to be featured.
You can also contribute to the campaign today! Your investment will strengthen Purdue, elevate the university’s reputation, and expand opportunities for current and future Boilermakers.
—Calandra Weaver
