Vincent Thomas

Infobox Officeholder
name = Vincent Thomas


small

caption =
order = State Assemblyman, 68th District
San Pedro, California
term_start = January 1941
term_end = January 1975
vicepresident =
viceprimeminister =
deputy =
president =
primeminister =
predecessor = Fred Reaves
successor = Walter M. Ingalls
order2 = State Assemblyman, 52nd District
San Pedro, California
term_start2 = January 1975
term_end2 = January 1979
vicepresident2 =
viceprimeminister2 =
deputy2 =
president2 =
primeminister2 =
predecessor2 = Floyd L. Wakefield
successor2 = Gerald N. Felando
order3 =
term_start3 =
term_end3 =
vicepresident3 =
viceprimeminister3 =
deputy3 =
president3 =
primeminister3 =
predecessor3 =
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order4 =
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birth_date = birth date|1907|4|16|mf=y
birth_place = flagicon|Mississippi Biloxi, Mississippi
death_date = January 1980 (aged 72)
death_place = flagicon|California San Pedro, California
constituency =
party = Democratic
spouse =
profession = Politician
religion = Roman Catholic


footnotes =

Vincent Tomasevich-Thomas (April 16, 1907- January 1980) was a Democratic Party politician from California who represented San Pedro's 68th and 52nd Districts in the California Assembly from 1941 to 1979. [cite web
url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/2353
title=JoinCalifornia - Candidate Biography - Vincent Thomas
publisher=Alex Vassar & Shane Meyers
accessdate=2007-10-06]

Childhood and education

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Thomas was the third of eight children of Croatian immigrants who came to America in 1903. [cite web
url=http://www.croatians.com/PLACE-THOMAS(EVICH)%20BRIDGE.htm
title=Croatian-American Personalities Directory - Vincent Tomasevich-Thomas
publisher=Adam S. Eterovich
accessdate=2007-10-06] His family moved from Mississippi to Oakland, California in 1917, and then to San Pedro in 1919. In 1928, he graduated from San Pedro High School. He received a Bachelor Degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1932 and attended the University of Santa Clara and Loyola Law Schools from 1932 to 1936. He worked as a minor sports coach and physical education instructor while in college. He also played football for Santa Clara. [cite web
url=http://www.laalmanac.com/people/pe20tv.htm
title=Los Angeles Almanac - Vincent Thomas
publisher=Given Place Publishing Company
accessdate=2007-10-06]

After graduating law school, Thomas did not open his own practice, but found a job in a fish processing factory that was owned by Martin J. Bogdanovich, a fellow Croatian from the Island of Vis. While with the factory, Thomas was encouraged to engage himself in politics. [cite web
url=http://www.croatians.com/PLACE-THOMAS(EVICH)%20BRIDGE.htm
title=Croatian-American Personalities Directory - Vincent Tomasevich-Thomas
publisher=Adam S. Eterovich
accessdate=2007-10-06]

Political career

Thomas entered politics and was successful in his first run for office in 1940, resoundingly defeating Charles M. Smith to become the State Assemblyman for the 68th District representing San Pedro. [cite web
url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1940-11-05
title=JoinCalifornia - Election History for the State of California - 11/5/1940
publisher=Alex Vassar & Shane Meyers
accessdate=2007-10-06] While in the Assembly, Thomas worked to improve the California commercial fishing industry, and to provide programs for public recreation, senior citizen services, the disabled, transportation and education.

He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. Thomas had the longest record of service in the Assembly and was known affectionately as "Dean of the Assembly". In 1974, his district was redrawn as the 52nd Assembly District. Ultimately, he served in the Assembly for 19 consecutive terms, until his first defeat in a re-election bid by Republican candidate Gerald N. Felando in 1978. [cite web
url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/election/1978-11-07
title=JoinCalifornia - Election History for the State of California - 11/7/1978
publisher=Alex Vassar & Shane Meyers
accessdate=2007-10-06]

Vincent Thomas Bridge

Originally slated to be called the "San Pedro-Terminal Island Bridge" when construction began in 1960, in 1961 the California Legislature passed Concurrent Resolution 131 naming the suspension bridge planned between San Pedro and Terminal Island for Thomas in honor of his foresight and untiring work that culminated in its construction. The bridge was dedicated and opened to traffic on November 15, 1963. Thomas paid the very first toll, which was then 25 cents. [cite web
url=http://www.portoflosangeles.org/community_VTB.htm
title=Port of Los Angeles - Vincent Thomas Bridge
publisher=Port of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles
accessdate=2007-10-06]

Death

Thomas died in San Pedro, California in January 1980 at the age of 72. [cite web
url=http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/SingleIndexIndView.aspx?ix=ssdiall&hpp=1&rf=*,z*&qt=i&zassn=550&zgssn=14&zsssn=9290&highlight=Thomas%2cVincent
title=Social Security Death Index for Vincent Thomas
publisher=World Vital Records, Inc
accessdate=2007-10-06]

External links

*
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/thomas9.html#S2Y11081Q Vincent Thomas in Political Graveyard]

References