Mozelle W. Thompson facts for kids

Mozelle Willmont Thompson is an American lawyer who worked for the government. He was a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1997 to 2004. The FTC is a government agency that protects consumers and promotes fair business. Mr. Thompson was the second African American person to serve on the FTC.

Mozelle Thompson's Education

Mozelle Thompson grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to Columbia University for his college and law degrees. In 1976, he earned his bachelor's degree from Columbia College. He then received his law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Columbia Law School in 1981.

After law school, he continued his studies at Princeton University. There, he earned a master's degree in public administration. This degree helps people learn how to manage public organizations.

Mozelle Thompson's Legal Career

After finishing law school, Mr. Thompson worked for a judge named William M. Hoeveler. This job, called a law clerk, helps judges with their legal research.

Later, he worked as a lawyer for a private law firm in New York City. This firm was called Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. He worked there from 1982 to 1990. Mr. Thompson also taught law as a professor at Fordham University School of Law.

He then worked for the state government in New York. He helped manage important agencies that deal with housing and mortgages.

In 1993, Mr. Thompson joined the federal government. He worked for the Department of the Treasury. In this role, he helped manage financial policies for the country. He also helped with the finances of the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Working at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

In 1997, President Bill Clinton chose Mr. Thompson to join the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is a government group that works to stop unfair business practices. It also protects consumers from scams and misleading advertising.

He took over a seat that was empty after Christine A. Varney left. Mr. Thompson served on the FTC until August 2004. After he left, Jon Leibowitz took his place.

While at the FTC, Mr. Thompson also worked with an international group. This group was the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. He led their committee that focused on consumer protection policies.

In 2004, he supported a big business deal between Sony and BMG. This deal was about merging parts of their music businesses. He had some concerns about how it might affect the music industry.

Mr. Thompson is one of only three African Americans to have served on the FTC. The others were A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. (1962-1964) and Pamela Jones Harbour (2003-2009).

After the FTC

In 2008, Mr. Thompson helped with the team for Barack Obama's presidential transition. He led the group that looked at economic and international trade issues. This included reviewing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC is another government agency that oversees financial markets.

After leaving government service, he started his own consulting company. He advises big companies like Facebook and The Walt Disney Company. He was on the advisory board for Facebook for ten years. He also advised Samsung for three years.

Awards and Honors

In 2014, Mr. Thompson received the John Jay Award. This award is given by Columbia College for great professional achievements. Other winners that year included Nobel Prize winner Robert Lefkowitz.

In 2016, he received the Alumni Medal from Columbia University. This is the highest honor given by the university's alumni association.

See also

• List of former FTC commissioners