Gus Thomas

American judge

William Augustus Thomas (December 14, 1863 – June 3, 1951) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as a justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 1915 to 1951. He served as chief justice of the court from 1926 to 1927, 1929 to January 1931, March to September 1931, and January to April 1939.

He holds the record for the longest tenure of any member of Kentucky's highest court, serving for a total of 35 years, 1 month, and 1 day.

Early life and education

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William Augustus Thomas was born on December 14, 1863, in Fulton, Kentucky , to Francis and Laura (Taylor) Thomas. His father was a farmer, businessman, and confederate veteran. Thomas was educated in rural schools until the age of 16, afterwards attending and graduating from the Murray Male and Female Institute.

For three years, he worked as a teacher as well as a clerk in his father's grocery store. During that time, he studied law independently for eighteen months before taking the entrance exam for Northern Indiana Law School (later Valparaiso University School of Law ), which he passed with a score of 98%. He was admitted in 1887, completed the two-year course of study in one-year, and graduated in June 1888.

Career

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Early career

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After graduation, Thomas returned to Fulton and entered into private practice. In 1891, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for state representative for Fulton and Hickman counties, but withdrew from the race during the district's nominating convention. In 1892, Thomas had moved to Mayfield and by 1895 was speculated as a candidate for state senator .

Thomas was selected as a member of Kentucky's "solid silver " delegation the state sent to the 1896 Democratic National Convention , and was the first Kentucky delegate to switch their vote from J. C. S. Blackburn to William Jennings Bryan .

From 1900 to 1908, Thomas served as master commissioner of the Graves County Circuit Court under Judge Joseph E. Robbins. In early 1901, Robbins experienced a decline in his health and took a leave of absence. During this absence, Thomas served as special judge of the court until the Mayfield Bar Association held an election in March, in which Thomas finished last among three candidates.

In 1902, Robbins resigned from the bench and joined Thomas in forming a private practice. Together, Thomas and Robbins were described by Judge Mac Swinford as, "...born jury lawyers. Without breach of ethics or being subject to criticism, they knew how to dramatize their case and how to win." Also during this period, Thomas served as city attorney of Mayfield.

During the 1908 presidential election , Thomas was again a supporter and promoter of William Jennings Bryan. He accompanied Bryan on a train tour of the state in 1907, delivered stump speeches on his behalf, and voted for him as a delegate to the 1908 Democratic National Convention .

1910 Court of Appeals election

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With the increasing popularity of the temperance movement in Western Kentucky, incumbent justice Thomas Jefferson Nunn of the Kentucky Court of Appeals was anticipated to have steep competition for reelection in 1910. Thomas had announced his candidacy in 1906, and was joined by Judge William Reed of Fulton County in being Nunn's foremost challengers.

However, Nunn supporters organized and called a snap convention to be held on August 17, 1909, in Princeton with a prearranged quorum. News of the convention spread slowly, only reaching Paducah the night before, resulting in a limited number of Thomas and Reed allies being able to attend. Despite their opposition to the proceedings, the convention approved a primary election to be held in November, which saw Nunn renominated and subsequently reelected without Republican opposition in 1910.

Kentucky Court of Appeals, circa 1915 (Justice Clement Singleton Nunn seated second from right)

1915 Court of Appeals election

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On February 28, 1914, Nunn resigned from the court due to his declining health. Governor James B. McCreary appointed Nunn's son, Clement Singleton Nunn, to fill his father's seat until a special election could take place the next year.

Three democrats ran in the primary election held on August 7, 1915: Circuit Judge John Fleming Gordon of Madisonville , Nunn, and Thomas. While Thomas had initially announced his candidacy for circuit judge of Kentucky's 1st judicial circuit, he decided to withdraw and instead pursue the court of appeals seat again after Graves County judge James T. Webb declined to run.

Thomas won the primary election, receiving around 14,000 total votes and comfortable majorities over Nunn and Gordon. He was unopposed in the November 2 general

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