Gary Thomas (1938 – January 1, 2008) was the ''

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

'' of the University of Missouri–Rolla (now known as Missouri University of Science and Technology (S&T) from 2000 to 2005.

Career

Thomas was the '' Provost'' and ''Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs'' of

New Jersey Institute of Technology New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a Public university, public research university in Newark, New Jersey, United States, with a graduate-degree-granting satellite campus in Jersey City. Founded in 1881 with the support of local indust ...

(NJIT) in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

from 1990 to 1998 prior to his appointment at S&T. He was the ''Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies'' from 1997 through 1998 and ''Vice-President for Academic Affairs'' from 1980 to 1990.

Personal life

Thomas was raised in a rural community in northern California; his father was a sheep-shearer and farmer. He supported himself through college in a variety of jobs, including milking cows and driving a school bus. Although his parents were committed Mormons, Thomas considered himself an atheist. While at the

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

, Thomas was introduced to the political philosophy of socialism and considered himself a Trotskyist for the rest of his life. He taught in Ghana following his university studies for some years before returning to the United States to further pursue his academic career. A long-standing supporter of the arts, he supported the arts community in Newark NJ. Thomas died New Year's Day 2008 after battling multiple myeloma. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Tedesco PhD, and four children: Katelin Thomas MPH, Ellie Thomas PT, Derek Thomas, and Jenna Tedesco PsyD; and four grandchildren: Gwyn Thomas Foley, Caleb Thomas Foley, Ahsaan Thomas Cauley, and Katelyn Elizabeth Tedesco-Musacchio.

References

External links

'Missouri University of Science and Technology: Former Chancellor Gary Thomas dies at age 70'
(archived)
'NJIT: NJIT Community Mourns Loss of Dr. Gary Thomas'
(archived) 1938 births 2008 deaths Deaths from multiple myeloma Missouri University of Science and Technology faculty New Jersey Institute of Technology faculty Stony Brook University faculty University of California, Berkeley alumni 20th-century American academics {{US-academic-administrator-1930s-stub