alumnus of the year
Newton B. Thomas business executive, philanthropist
Newton B. Thomas graduated from University Lab School in 1962 and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from LSU in 1967. While a student, he played catcher for the LSU baseball team, was a cheerleader, and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Thomas began his career with Southern Instruments, an industrial controls contracting company, as an estimating engineer. From 1967 to 1971, he held the positions of chief estimator, vice president of estimating and construction, and general manager, and he was promoted to president in 1971. In 1973, with two fellow LSU electrical engineering graduates, Thomas formed what is now the Newtron Group (NGI), one of the country’s largest privately owned specialty industrial construction companies. Founded on “Core Values and Beliefs” developed by Thomas, NGI has grown to a $300-$450 million company employing between 1,500 and 3,000 people. This value system encouraged Thomas to foster a legacy by creating the Newton B. Thomas Support Foundation, which will ultimately own NGI, thus allowing the corporation’s profit sharing and charitable giving plans to be perpetuated. NGI has garnered numerous awards including Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s Large Private Company of the Year Award (twice, with the last given in 2012), the Louisiana Free Enterprise Company of the Year Award, and the first Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau Manship Ethics in Business Award. In 2012, ENR Magazine ranked NGI the seventh largest industrial electrical contractor in the country. Thomas was founding chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Engineering and a member of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Advisory Board. He was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1994. He serves on the Board of Trustees and is past chairman of AMIkids of Baton Rouge, a non-profit rehabilitation program for adjudicated youth in the juvenile justice system, as well as past chairman of AMIkids National Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. For his work with youth, Thomas received President Bush's 1000 Points of Light award. Thomas and his wife, the former Betsy Reich, have two daughters, Katherine and Lindsey. Katherine and husband Jim Inzer have three children, Harper, James, and Thomas. Lindsey and husband Tom Easterly have three children, twins Benjamin and Sydney, and Madeline.
“I credit LSU for the broad-based education that has enabled me to pursue my lifetime career goals and create lifelong friends. The varied life experiences at LSU have encouraged and enabled me to attain and have a diverse and fulfilling life.”
22 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015