Joseph Thompson
Lecturer
Bio
Joe Thompson has served as a Bauer Faculty member since 2019. He currently is a Faculty Lecturer in the Management and Leadership Department at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business where he teaches international business to honors and large undergraduate sections. He currently also teaches global sports business and global sports leadership courses. Going back to 2011, Joe also served as a teaching assistant at Bauer and as a teaching assistant and lecturer for the history department at the University of Houston.
He received his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Houston. His doctoral dissertation, SOMETHING LIKE A FAILED WAR: MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S UNWINNABLE CONFLICT AGAINST DRUGS, focused on the history of baseball's illicit drug culture, how illicit drug use impacted American popular culture from the nineteenth century to the present, and how different forms of media have molded and shaped a national conversation about heroes in an age of high-profile celebrity athletes. His research interests include a wide range of topics: global sports business and management, international business, advanced technology in business and sports, world history (distant and modern), business and popular culture through various forms of media (film, radio, television, digital, etc.), and the history of recreational and performance enhancement drug use in sports and global culture.
For more information about my research, see my CV:
He is the author and co-author of several books including We Are, We Can, We Will: The 1992 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, Dome Sweet Dome: History and Highlights from 35 Years of the Houston Astrodome in 2017, and Mexican-American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas also in 2017. Joe was awarded the 2018 Joseph Pratt Public History Prize in May 2018 for his work on Mexican-American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas. His research has also been published in The National Pastime, Journal of Sports History, and the Houston Baseball Shooting Star Express.
Dr. Thompson joined the faculty at the University of Houston after several decades working for companies in various industries. He joined the United States Air Force in 1990 where he served during Operation Desert Storm. After the military, he worked for several companies and industries including PageMart, Inc., Anthony Travel, Computer Sciences Corporation, Blockbuster Video, and Domino's Pizza.
He is a US Air Force Desert Storm veteran. He currently spends what little off time he has with his wonderful wife Susan, reading, writing, playing with his two dogs, and playing catch with his grandson. Joe is also a passionate Houston sports fan, especially the Coogs and Astros.
Academic Associations & Editorial Boards
- President and Social Media Director for the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) Houston Chapter
- Academy of Management
- Air and Space Forces Association
- North American Society for Sport History (NASSH)
- Texas State Historical Association
Contact Info
- Phone:
- Email:
- jlthompson@CougarNet.UH.EDU
- Room:
- MH 325P
- Website:
- Visit Web Site
Courses
- BUSI 1301: Business Principles in a Global Economy
- INTB 3355: Global Environment of Business
- INTB 4397: International Business in Greece
- MANA 4397: Global Business of Sports
- MANA 4397: Global Sports Leadership
Education
Ph.D. University of Houston
MA University of Houston
BA University of Houston
Associate of Applied Science, Community College of the Air Force
Associate of Arts, Spokane Falls Community College