Former LSU athlete, founder of nation’s largest industrial construction company, dies at 81

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A former LSU baseball player and the founder of an industrial construction company passed away at 81.

On Tuesday, officials with LSU announced that Newton Thomas died on Saturday. Thomas attended LSU from 1962 to 1967, where he played catcher for the Tigers, was a cheerleader, and a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Thomas graduated from the university with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967. After earning his degree, Thomas started working for Southern Instruments, an industrial controls contracting company, as an estimating engineer until he was promoted to president in 1971.

In 1973, Thomas, along with two other electrical engineering graduates, created the Newtron Group, which is one of the country’s biggest privately owned specialty industrial construction companies.

The Newtron Group has grown into a $1 billion company, employing about 4,500 people. It is among the nation’s leading industrial electrical and instrumentation providers. The company has offices across Louisiana, Texas, California, and Nevada.

The Newtron Group posted on social media about the passing of Thomas.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our company’s founder, Newton B. Thomas. Newton was surrounded by his family all day yesterday and then passed away peacefully in this home with his loving wife by his side.

Newton believed that long-term, committed employees were the key to a successful company, and he instilled in us the belief that every employee and customer deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. He was known for being both a respected leader and a cherished friend. His generosity and commitment to improving the lives of those around him knew no bounds.

During his time here on earth, Newton touched countless lives and affected many of us in truly amazing ways. Our world has been forever changed due to Newton’s life, his vision for the company and the values he instilled in every single one of us.

As we mourn the loss of this remarkable human being, we also celebrate his life, as well as the impact he made on all of us and on our entire community.

Newton B. Thomas is a true legend, and his legacy will live on in perpetuity. We extend our condolences to his wife, Betsy, his daughters, Katherine and Lindsay, and their families during this difficult time. May he rest in eternal peace.”
The Newtron Group

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