Charles Spalding Thomas

Charles Spalding Thomas

Charles Spalding Thomas (born December 6, 1849 in Darien , Georgia , † June 24, 1934 in Denver , Colorado ) was an American politician and from 1899 to 1901 the eleventh governor of the state of Colorado.

Early years and political advancement

Charles Thomas attended private schools in Georgia and Connecticut before serving briefly in the Confederate Army in the American Civil War . In 1871 he graduated from the University of Michigan with his law exam. For health reasons, he then moved to Denver, where he worked as a lawyer.

Thomas was a member of the Democratic Party . From 1875 to 1877 he was an attorney for the City of Denver. Between 1884 and 1896 he was on the Republican National Committee . In 1884 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US House of Representatives . Just as unsuccessful were his candidacies for the US Senate in 1888 and 1894 and for the office of governor of Colorado in 1894. On November 8, 1898, he managed to win the election, in which he was elected the new governor of his state .

Governor and senator

Thomas took up his new office on January 10, 1899. During this time, an inheritance tax was introduced in Colorado and Teller County was created. The eight-hour day was introduced in iron smelting.

After the death of Charles J. Hughes in 1911, he took over his seat in the US Senate. After being re-elected to this office, he remained on this body until March 1921. There he was chairman of the committee that advised on women's suffrage at the federal level and a member of two other committees. After his time in Congress, Thomas returned to practice as a lawyer. He died in June 1934. He had five children with his wife, Emma Fletcher.

Web links

• Charles Thomas in the National Governors Association (English)
• Charles Spalding Thomas in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)