Lawrence Thomas is a recently retired partner at Edward Jones. Previously, he spent most of his time in the company’s Securities Research and Branch Development departments. He started as an intern in 1977 and, upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, was hired in the firm’s Corporate Bond Trading department and became principal in 1983. Mr. Thomas is the chairman of board of Forest Park Forever, past Board Chair at Provident, Inc., and serves on the Executive Committees of the SIFMA Foundation, the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the Saint Louis Zoo and the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. Additionally, he has served on the boards of the Bond Market Association, the Bond Market Foundation, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club.
In addition to his leadership on the Board of Trustees, Mr. Thomas is a member of Washington University’s Olin Business School National Council, the Black Alumni Council, and is a past chair of the Alumni Board of Governors. He is the recipient of the Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Award (1997), the Olin Business School Distinguished Alumni Award (2009), and the Dean’s Medal from the Olin Business School (2019). Mr. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Washington University and Master of Business Administration degree from Lindenwood University in St. Louis and Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg School of Management.