Member Biography

Daniel J. Thomas 

Member
Sessions Office Position District Party
1903-1904       30 Republican
1905-1906       30 Republican

COUNTIES: Schuylkill  


Biography

1839 - 02/18/1912


Daniel J Thomas (R30) Schuylkill (Part) County 1903-1906

Early Life:

Daniel J Thomas, born, 1839, Swansea, South Wales; worked, coal mines, 1851 (12 years old); night school education; immigrated America, 1861, locating, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; engaged, Luzerne and Schuylkill, coal mines, 1862-1875; mine foreman, Cambola mines, superintendent, Beaver Brook colliery, Luzerne County; superintendent,  Morea Colliery; superintendent, Kaska William Colliery, 1897; elected, school director, Luzerne County; elected, school director, Mahanoy, Schuylkill County; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1903-1906; owner, Pennsylvania Hotel, Mahanoy City, 1899; married, Mary Lloyd, children, David Lloyd Thomas, Margaret Thomas Beck, William Garfield Thomas; died, February 18, 1912 (aged 72–73), Hazleton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, interment, Charles Baber Cemetery, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Charter member, Tamaqua Lodge of Elks

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, school director, Luzerne County; elected, school director, Mahanoy, Schuylkill County.  Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1903-1906; committee assignments, regular and extraordinary sessions, Canals and Inland Navigation, Federal Relations Judiciary Special, Library, Pensions and Gratuities, Public Printing, Public Supply of Light, Heat and Water (Chairman), 1906.

Legacy:

Ardent baseball fan and during his residence in Mahanoy City he was the mainstay of the Mahanoy City Brewers in that city and his one delight was to take a team to Pottsville to take the scalp of the county seat tossers.

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1906) Cochran, T.B., (Editor) Miller, H.P. (Assistant Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 823, 829-834, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 805

Evening News (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) Monday February 19, 1912.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46145044/daniel-j-thomas