Joseph Jackson Thigpen

Jack was born in Ruston on June 7, 1945, and graduated from Ruston High School in 1963. After high school Jack attended Louisiana Tech where he graduated in 1967. After a year as a teacher and coach at Choudrant High School, he entered the Army in October of 1968.

Following basic training and advanced individual training, Jack entered Officer Candidate School at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, trained as a field artillery officer and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in August 1969. After his commissioning Jack was assigned to the North American Air Defense Command as a computer programmer. Computer programing was fairly new at that time and Jack was one of the few Army Officers that had any computer programing experience, having taken a class at La. Tech. He spent three years writing military programs, some being top secret, before being discharged as a Captain on June 30, 1972.

Jacks’ military decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.

After being discharged Jack moved back to Louisiana and started a teaching and coaching career. He retired from coaching in 2006, then spent 6 years selling sporting goods. Jack currently lives in Monroe with his wife Ann.