Thomas McCoy, Inventor of the St. Thomas Academic Awards

Thomas’ work is inspired by a wide variety of natural colors and shapes found throughout nature, his travels having broadened his artistic knowledge while mastering frame craftsmanship as an art form.

His primary research directions involve understanding how linguistic theory can be represented using neural networks, and how understanding human language can aid artificial intelligence systems.

Early Life and Education

McCoy was raised in a family that instilled hard work and education as core values. Upon graduation from high school he used the GI Bill to attend college before joining the US Air Force for 24 years of service to his nation.

He was an innovator who pioneered many inventions that are still used today despite racial discrimination he experienced, such as a train lubrication system still in use today. Even under pressure of race discrimination he managed to secure several patents for his creations.

His Sunday pages utilize the ligne claire drawing style used by Herge in his Tintin series; this technique utilizes minimal shading or hatchings (Zip-A-Tone mechanical textures are not employed either), enabling maximum use of natural colors.

Professional Career

McCoy was best-known for his pioneering work on railroad lubrication systems, wherein he developed an automatic system that permitted trains to run continuously without stopping for maintenance, patenting the device himself and earning fame as one of America’s greatest inventors; Booker T. Washington even noted him in his “Story of the Negro.” To commemorate him further, an historic marker stands near McCoy’s old workshop in Ypsilanti and in Detroit the Midwest Regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bears his name – both of which were named in his honor.

McCoy has made considerable strides at LLNL during his time there, helping establish institutional computing for its science teams and leading efforts to establish strategic plans for high-performance computing at the lab. Currently he serves as deputy associate director for Computation.

Achievement and Honors

At this year’s annual St. Thomas Academic Awards Assembly, held outside its usual setting at Cemo Auditorium due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was still an emotional tribute not only to strong intellect and academic achievements but also community involvement and compassion. Honorees included valedictorian Grant McCoy and salutatorian Grayson Drinkard who are considered outstanding scholars based on four-year grade point average calculations for their class.

Cooper Gottschalk ’18 received the Bausch & Lomb Science Award, in recognition of their outstanding performance in rigorous course work; Kenneth Dang ’18 won Frederick Douglass and Susan B Anthony Humanities and Social Sciences Award as an Eagle scholar, an accolade bestowed only upon those seniors who excel in an intense college preparatory environment and demonstrate a compelling identity that transcends academic achievements.

Personal Life

Thomas McCoy is a direct descendent of the original McCoy family that participated in the legendary Hatfield-McCoy feud, providing invaluable insights about their character traits, morals and how it helped fuel this legacy of conflict.

He is an active blood donor and motorsport enthusiast, often racing his new Bicknell car at local race tracks with Cheryl and Nugget cheering him on as fans.

An accomplished counselor, he provides relief to people suffering from anxiety, depression, existential crises and midlife transitions as well as processing trauma. He employs an eclectic approach in his sessions combining insights-oriented psychoanalysis with mindfulness practices such as hypnosis. Each year at least one first year student must attend his sessions for an intensive introduction to Socratic methods.

Net Worth

Former NFL player Charles Haley has amassed an immense fortune through his athletic career. He began with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins before ending it all by briefly joining Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders before retiring altogether.

He is estimated to be worth an impressive $30 Million and has made significant investments in his businesses. Additionally, he has appeared in multiple films and performed with the Welsh National Opera.

McCoy initially played Seventh Doctor with clownish humor, which later gave way to more sinister tones as his character evolved into someone who seemed like an manipulator of people like chess pieces. Clarence Thomas has made money off both teaching and book sales deals as part of his income stream.