William Richard Thom (July 7, 1885 – August 28, 1960) was an American lawyer and politician who served three non-consecutive stints as a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
in the mid-19th century.
Biography
Born in
Canton, Ohio, Thom attended the public schools.
He engaged as a newspaper reporter 1905–1909.
He attended
Western Reserve University
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
* Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that i ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio from 1909 to 1911.
He served as private secretary to Congressman
John J. Whitacre 1911–1913.
He served as member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
Press Galleries in 1915 and 1916.
He was graduated from the law department of
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, Washington, D.C., in 1916.
He was
admitted to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1917 and commenced practice in
Canton, Ohio.
He served as member of the park commission of Canton 1920–1932.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination to Congress in 1920.
Congress
Thom was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
Seventy-third,
Seventy-fourth, and
Seventy-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1938 to the
Seventy-sixth Congress.
He resumed the practice of law.
Thom was elected to the
Seventy-seventh Congress (January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1942 to the
Seventy-eighth Congress.
Thom was elected to the
Seventy-ninth Congress (January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1946 to the
Eightieth Congress.
Later career and death
He resumed the practice of law.
He served as delegate to the
1956 Democratic National Convention
The 1956 Democratic National Convention nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for president and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for vice president. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chic ...
.
He died in
Canton, Ohio, August 28, 1960.
He was interred in
West Lawn Cemetery.
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thom, William Richard
1885 births
1960 deaths
Politicians from Canton, Ohio
Georgetown University Law Center alumni
Case Western Reserve University alumni
Ohio lawyers
Burials at West Lawn Cemetery
20th-century American politicians
Lawyers from Canton, Ohio
20th-century American lawyers
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio