He was a United States Air Force Reserve colonel from 1961 to 1987.
He was assistant minority (Republican) leader from 1966 to 1970[2] and unsuccessfully ran for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1970, losing to incumbent George Nigh.
Thompson was nominated by President Gerald Ford on September 24, 1975, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma vacated by Judge Stephen Sanders Chandler Jr.
He served as a Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 1990 to 1997.
Thompson served in that capacity until August 6, 2007, when he retired from his position making room for his successor and son-in-law, the newly appointed Judge Timothy DeGiusti.