Otis N. Thompson Jr., is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.  He entered Lincoln University in February 1946 after having served in the U.S. military on Guadalcanal, Okinawa and Korea in WWII. 

In 1948, as a student in the Lincoln University School of Journalism he received the John B. Russwrum scholarship award that included a summer internship  at the Chicago Defender newspaper.  Following graduation in June 1950 he joined the staff of the St. Louis Argus, followed by employment with a public relations firm in Washington, D.C., serving the Coca-Cola Company, of Atlanta and the Carnation Company of Los Angeles.  After a short stint with a Capitol Hill News Service, he was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, becoming an Information Division Branch Chief.

He retired from the federal government and accepted a position as Executive Director of the Organization of Professional Employees, USDA.  He has served as president of that employee organization, the St. Louis Mound City Press Club, the Capitol Press Club of D.C., the Usher Board of Asbury United Methodist Church, the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Lincoln University (MO) Alumni Association and The Whitfield Gardens Civic Association, Lanham, Maryland.  He and his wife, Lorraine have two children, Bruce and Kimberly.  Bruce is a recreational specialist in Aspen, Colorado and Kimberly Stephenson is a pharmaceutical sales representative for Pfizer, Inc.