Awards

Bicentennial Medal - 2020

Chancellor and Provost Medallion - 2013

IU Northwest Chancellor's Medallion

Gary, Indiana

Presenter: William J. Lowe

About Joseph N. Thomas

Joseph and Joanna Thomas are longstanding philanthropic supporters of both IU and IU Northwest.

A 1951 honors graduate in accounting from the Kelley School of Business, Joseph then passed the CPA exam with the highest grade in the state; followed by a cum laude degree from Harvard Law School. Joseph is a former faculty member at IU Northwest and was a speaker at the campus's first commencement.

During his career, Joseph served as a lawyer in Gary, and his father, Ray C. Thomas, served as an IU trustee from 1952 until 1967. Ray played a pivotal role in establishing the Northwest campus in Gary.

The Thomases have established the Ray C. and Josephine K. Thomas Scholarship Fund, as a way to honor Joseph’s parents. As trustee of the Byron Root Trust Fund, Joseph worked for many years with IU Northwest faculty, to finance and develop projects to serve older residents in Northwest Indiana. The Thomases are also supporters of IU’s 1820 Society and the IU Foundation’s Presidents Circle (patron’s level).