Component PI-81-8.1 (1) - Early Combines in Saskatchewan

Lewis Herbert Thomas was born on April 13, 1917 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was the son of the Reverend Robert Thomas and Margaret (Ross) Thomas. Thomas received his elementary education in Nova Scotia and attended high school in Saskatoon. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (1940) and Master of Arts (1941) degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. Thomas received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1953.

During his professional career, Thomas served as Assistant Provincial Archivist for Saskatchewan (1946-1948) and Provincial Archivist for Saskatchewan (1948-1957). From 1957 to 1964, he was Associate Professor of History at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. Thomas then joined the faculty of the University of Alberta as a Professor of History. He served as chairman of the History Department from 1965 to 1968. In addition to teaching western Canadian history, Thomas also wrote several books on the subject, including "The Struggle for Responsible Government in the North-West Territories, 1870-1897" (1956) and "The Renaissance of Canadian History: A Biography of A. L. Burt" (1975). He wrote numerous articles and served as editor of "Saskatchewan History" (1949 to 1957) and as a member of the National Monuments and Historic Sites Board of Canada (1968-1976). Upon his retirement from the University of Alberta in August 1982, Thomas returned to Regina, where he resided until his death on November 21, 1983.

Thomas was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Regina in 1972. He received life memberships in the Canadian Historical Association and the Association of Canadian Archivists and was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada on October 5, 1983. Thomas Bay in Regina was named in his honour in 1978.

Thomas married Margaret E. Telford on August 15, 1946. They had two children: Jean Alice and Robert Telford.