The bond between twins has spawned a host of research studies examining the nature of a unique relationship that transcends that of traditional siblings. Though Bob Thomas has never delved into any of those studies, he knows without a doubt that the connection he shares with his twin brother, Bill, is special.
Each has achieved success in his own right, yet they celebrate life’s most important milestones side by side. Born and raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Bob says he knew he and Bill would attend the same college. On the football field, Bob played tight end and Bill was quarterback, and they had a decision to make when recruited by scouts representing a host of state schools in the surrounding region. The University of Tulsa caught their eyes, and the prospect of life in a bigger city was appealing after growing up in a small town.
Bob embraced his time at TU, joking that, “It was my last chance at being pretty darn irresponsible.” Football kept him on the straight and narrow, for the most part, as did his studies. He recalls the warmth extended by alumni and the antics of residence hall life at LaFortune, which at the time was reserved for student-athletes. The hazy, hot days of late summer practices still spring to mind. When his coaches suggested he gain weight to fill out his lean frame, he lived on a steady diet of milkshakes.
When it came to choose his major, Bob drew inspiration from his father, head of human resources for Phillips Petroleum. He keyed into a liberal arts degree that would provide an option to later pursue an MBA or attend law or medical school and elected to major in political science. Bob expanded his worldview traveling with President Emeritus Ben Henneke to Italy twice on study abroad trips. He enjoyed casual visits with President J. Paschal Twyman in his office. “My relationships at TU were so much different than those I had in high school,” Bob said. “There was a coming of age through my college experience. Those four years were a time to relish.”
Bob grew enamored with real estate — it afforded independence and the prospect of building his own venture — and obtained a real estate sales license during his junior year at TU. Along with Bill, he extended offers on a couple of small fourplexes, and though they didn’t work out, he knew it was a path he wanted to pursue. He also knew he eventually wanted Bill by his side. “Doing something on our own was really on our minds. Real estate could provide that, plus we liked the numbers,” he said.
After they graduated, Bill moved to St. Louis to start a career in accounting but returned to Tulsa just a couple of years later when Bob sourced their first real estate deal. “We bought it and flipped it and made some good money on it. We’ve been together ever since,” he said. At age 24, they cofounded Gemini Properties in August, 1976, which evolved into a focus on housing for seniors in 1989 with the founding of Senior Star. Today, Senior Star, which operates 15 communities across seven states, ranks in Fortune magazine’s list of top ten workplaces for aging services.
Bob says they never worried about whether their partnership would work — he just knew it would. “We are much more defined by the difficult times in business than the accomplishments,” he explains. “Persevering through those tough times makes us remember what’s important in life.” Four decades after cofounding Senior Star, Bob says he is most satisfied by having built a company that could survive — and thrive — without him and Bill at the helm.
Outside of business, Bob says he and his brother do a lot of civic things together, and “when we are not doing them together, we are supporting each other.” They made a simple commitment to each other to one day earn enough to repay their scholarships, and they did that a long time ago. The longtime TU supporters never quit giving back, both in time and money.
Bob and his brother support the Alzheimer’s Association, buoyed by the prospect that they can help the Association change the course of the disease in their lifetime. “Hardly a day that goes by that I’m not doing something on the Alzheimer’s advocacy front,” Bob said. “It’s hard for me to spend the first hour of the day having not thought about what I need to do to advance some relationship, idea, or action for the Alzheimer’s Association.” He and his wife, Jill, routinely travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Alzheimer’s research funding. Bob served on the Alzheimer’s Association national board of directors for eight years and is a founding board member and treasurer for its sister organization, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. He holds an executive board position with the American Seniors Housing Association and serves on its public policy committee.
Bob takes pride in TU and in Tulsa and emphasizes the university’s importance to the fabric of the greater Tulsa community. He appreciates having earned the honor of distinguished alumnus, noting how much his alma mater means to the entire extended family, which includes nine TU graduates. He wakes up grateful each day for Jill, who also earned her undergraduate and law degrees from TU.
Though he finds it difficult to speculate about how things might have worked out had he not chosen TU, Bob knows his experience shaped the course of his life. “I love Tulsa and ended up making it my home. I see the University of Tulsa as a very positive experience and am so fortunate that’s how it worked out.”