Get to know the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees for MU
The University of Missouri’s Alumni Association is adding three new prominent members to the Hall of Fame this homecoming: William S. Thompson, Jr. (‘68), Mary Rhodes Russell (‘83) and Hayes Barnard (‘95). Since 2016, the MU Hall of Fame has recognized driven alumni who have shown excellence in their careers and are fulfilling the legacy as MU graduates.
William S. Thompson Jr.
As an undergraduate, Thompson was involved with a variety of organizations at MU – he was the president of Alpha Tau Omega’s Gamma Rho chapter, chair of the Homecoming Steering Committee and the President of the Missouri Student Association. After graduating, Thompson continued to dedicate his time to MU — at 27, he was declared the youngest-ever member of the UM System Board of Curators. He also served as co-chair of the 2001 “For All We Call Mizzou” national campaign, raising funding for scholarships, faculty, programs and facilities here at MU.
Thompson began his career endeavors after graduation in banking at Salomon Brothers for a decade. In that time he became a partner after six years and eventually became Chairman for Salomon Brothers Asia in Tokyo. Afterwards, Thompson joined Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), where he was named the CEO and Chairman Emeritus. In a commitment to facilitate support for MU, the Thompson Family Foundation established the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment in 2005.
“I loved working with people, not paper,” Thompson said. “I was very competitive, good at numbers and wanted to earn money. I was always motivated to make the ‘big leagues,’ to be recognized by my peers, make a difference and have fun.”
Mary Rhodes Russell
Russell has devoted her career in law to Missouri, earning her Juris Doctor from MU in 1983. She then served as a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District from 1994 to 2004, and Chief Judge for a year in 1999. Since 2004, she has served on the Missouri Supreme Court and devoted a term as Chief Justice from 2013 to 2015. Russell has accumulated several awards from MU — a Citation of Merit in 1997, a Faculty and Alumni Award in 2002 and the role of commencement speaker for the School of Law in 1997 and 2005.
“My passion in life has always been helping others,” Russell said. “The challenge of law school was attractive to me because by becoming a lawyer I would have the opportunity to help people with their legal issues. Although as a judge I don’t receive the same satisfaction from clients as I did when they sat across my desk in my law practice, now as a judge I am able to help a larger segment of the population by my work on the Court.”
Hayes Barnard
After graduating from MU in 1995, Barnard has spent his career as an influential figure in technology. Barnard is the founder, chairman and CEO for GoodLeap, a technology company that provides sustainable financing and software products for millions of people. In addition to GoodLeap, Barnard is also the founder, chairman and CEO of GivePower, a nonprofit organization that enables access to clean water and energy systems for communities in need.
“I wanted to focus on solving big problems that threaten the existence of humanity,” Barnard said. “I wanted a career worthy of a massive sacrifice that would be genuinely fulfilling, and a journey that wasn’t about becoming anything but allowed me to become who I was meant to be. Something that allowed me to fall in love with being vs. doing.”
Through their experiences, the inductees have learned how to cultivate passion and motivation to overcome their adversity.
“I thrive when presented with obstacles,” Barnard said. “It may seem counterintuitive, but the only way to tackle a problem, big or small, is to push through it and approach it as your next valuable learning experience. Some of the most important, impactful times in my personal and professional life have come through moments of adversity. I embrace those moments and come out stronger because of this mentality.”
Curating fulfilling careers has meant that the inductees have learned valuable lessons from continuously moving through life’s trials.
“Don’t compare your life and achievements to others’ ability to be the best student,” Barnard said. “Find joy from appreciating the talents that make you different vs. what you might lack in school or how you measure up in a class. My learning differences turned out to be my greatest gifts, and I wish I would have known that when I was taking Finance 203 at Middlebush.”
After graduation, these legacies now hold significant wisdom due to their experiences and impart upon current students advice.
“My advice to a college student today is to relax and not worry too much about your future,” Russell said. “Things work out, and with a little luck and some hard work, you will find yourself in a career that is very fulfilling. But dream big, don’t set your goals low. You will achieve more than you ever thought possible. Someone must run the corporation, be President or find a cure for cancer. Why not you?”
Edited by Molly Levine | mlevine@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Chase Pray and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com