Elbert D. Thomas

Elbert D. Thomas

Elbert Duncan Thomas (born June 17, 1883 in Salt Lake City , Utah Territory , † February 11, 1953 in Honolulu , Hawaii Territory ) was an American politician of the Democratic Party . From 1933 to 1951 he sat for the US state of Utah in the US Senate .

biography

The son of Caroline Stockdale and Richard Kendall Thomas, Thomas was born in Salt Lake City. He was the fifth of twelve children. His parents were theater lovers. Thomas played smaller and larger roles in various pieces early on. He studied at the Universities of Utah and California, Berkeley . In 1907 Thomas married Edna Harker.

In 1907 Thomas went to Japan with his wife to work as a missionary for the Mormons . In 1912 both returned. From then on, Thomas worked as a professor of political science and history at the University of Utah. In 1932 he ran for the Democratic as Senator for Utah in the Federal Senate. He was able to prevail against Reed Smoot . He was re-elected twice. In 1942 his wife died, with whom he had three children. He then married Ethel Evans, with whom he was in a relationship until his death. In 1950 he was defeated by Wallace F. Bennett and left the Senate. During his time in the Senate, he served as Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services . He was also on several other committees.

After serving in the Senate, he was High Commissioner of the Pacific Islands Trust Territory from 1951 until his death . He died in Honolulu and was buried in the family grave in his hometown.

Web links

• Elbert D. Thomas in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Elbert D. Thomas in the database of Find a Grave (English)