Galveston County Daily News, May 18, 2008 Dr. James C. Thompson, a leading surgical scientist and educator, died in his home in Galveston on May 9 of prostate cancer. He was 79 years old. From 1970 to 1995 he was professor and chairman of the UTMB Department of Surgery. He is credited with building at UTMB one of the leading surgical scientific programs in the nation.