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