Ralph Wilmer Thomas (June 11, 1862 – March 25, 1920) was an American politician, author, professor and librarian from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Life

Thomas was born in Cornwallis, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. He graduated from

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

, then called

Madison University Madison University is a School accreditation, non-accredited distance learning college located in Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport, Mississippi. The state of Mississippi considers Madison an "unapproved" college. Madison is also listed as an unac ...

, in 1883. He studied law at the University of Albany and English at Columbia University. He taught English at The Albany Academy from 1883 to 1887. He was admitted to the bar in 1885, but continued to teach, and was an examiner for the board of regents of the University of the State of New York. He was chief examiner from 1889 to 1892. In 1891, he married Effie Southwick, a sister of Congressman George N. Southwick (1863–1912). They had one child, Margaret Julia (who married Alfred Earnest Waters), one grandson, Alfred Earnest "Tom" Waters II (who married Frances Diana Ayres), and two great grandsons, Steven Joseph Waters (adopted) and Ralph Thomas Waters (natural). He was professor of

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

and public speaking at Colgate University from 1893 to 1913. During that time he also served as registrar of the university from 1892 to 1905, and librarian from 1892 to 1908. In 1903, he was appointed as a member of the New York State Board of Charities. Thomas was elected on April 28, 1910, to the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(37th D.) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Jotham P. Allds Jotham Powers Allds (February 1, 1865, Claremont, New Hampshire, Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire – September 11, 1923, Norwich (city), New York, Norwich, Chenango County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New Yo ...

, and attended the last weeks of the regular session, and the special session, of the

133rd New York State Legislature The 133rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to July 1, 1910, during the fourth year of Charles Evans Hughes's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the p ...

. He was re-elected twice, and sat in the 134th, 135th, 136th and

137th New York State Legislature The 137th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 20, 1914, while Martin H. Glynn was Governor of New York, in Albany. Background Under the provisions o ...

s until 1914. On April 15, 1915, Thomas and Martin Saxe were appointed to the New York State Tax Commission. Thomas was re-appointed in 1916, and remained in office until 1919. He died in Greenport, NY, March 20, 1920. He was buried at the Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands.

Sources

''Official New York from Cleveland to Hughes''
by Charles Elliott Fitch (Hurd Publishing Co., New York and Buffalo, 1911, Vol. IV; pg. 367)
''NOMINATED BY THE GOVERNOR''
in NYT on April 2, 1903
''RIVALS FOR ALLDS'S SEAT''
in NYT on April 13, 1910
''REPUBLICANS WIN IN ALLDS'S DISTRICT''
in NYT on April 29, 1910
''CONFIRM SAXE AND THOMAS''
in NYT on April 16, 1915
''NAMES NEW PRISONS HEAD''
in NYT on March 17, 1916
''SMITH SENDS APPOINTMENTS TO THE SENATE''
in ''Ithaca Daily News'' on January 9, 1919

transcribed from ''Our County and Its People: A Descriptive and Biographical Record of Madison County, New York'', edited by John E. Smith (The Boston History Co., 1890)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Ralph W 1862 births 1920 deaths Republican Party New York (state) state senators People from Madison County, New York People from Kings County, Nova Scotia Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery Colgate University alumni