Leroy D. Thoman
Encyclopedia
Leroy Delano Thoman was an American judge and civil service commissioner.
Thoman was born in Salem, Ohio
, July 31, 1851. He was educated in the common school
s and became a teacher at the age of sixteen. After five years of teaching, he studied the law and was admitted to the bar. Shortly thereafter, Thoman was appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Ninth Judicial District of Indiana
. In January 1873, he resigned his position and moved to Youngstown, Ohio
to practice law there, forming a partnership with Isaac A. Justice. In 1875, he was elected county judge of Mahoning County, and remained on the bench for six years. In 1876, he married Mary E. Cripps, but she died that same year.
Thoman became involved with Democratic politics in Ohio and, in 1880, presided over the party's state convention. That same year, he ran for Congress in Ohio's 17th congressional district
against William McKinley
, but was unsuccessful. He retired from the bench in 1882 and resumed his law practice, representing the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. The next year, after the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
, President Chester A. Arthur
nominated Thoman to be one of three members of the United States Civil Service Commission
. He served in that office until 1885. In 1887, he moved to Chicago
and worked to bring the World's Fair
there. Thoman married again to Florence B. Smith in 1892. They had one daughter, Dorothy, born in 1893. Thoman died at his home in Evanston, Illinois
, in 1909.
Thoman was born in Salem, Ohio
Salem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
, July 31, 1851. He was educated in the common school
Common school
A common school was a public school in the United States or Canada in the nineteenth century. The term 'common school' was coined by Horace Mann, and refers to the fact that they were meant to serve individuals of all social classes and religions....
s and became a teacher at the age of sixteen. After five years of teaching, he studied the law and was admitted to the bar. Shortly thereafter, Thoman was appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Ninth Judicial District of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In January 1873, he resigned his position and moved to Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
to practice law there, forming a partnership with Isaac A. Justice. In 1875, he was elected county judge of Mahoning County, and remained on the bench for six years. In 1876, he married Mary E. Cripps, but she died that same year.
Thoman became involved with Democratic politics in Ohio and, in 1880, presided over the party's state convention. That same year, he ran for Congress in Ohio's 17th congressional district
Ohio's 17th congressional district
The 17th congressional district of Ohio is currently represented by Representative Timothy J. Ryan. This district sits in northeastern Ohio, bordering Pennsylvania along one edge, and includes the cities of Kent, Ravenna, Warren and Youngstown, as well as part of Akron.This district will become...
against William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, but was unsuccessful. He retired from the bench in 1882 and resumed his law practice, representing the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. The next year, after the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of United States is a federal law established in 1883 that stipulated that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit. The act provided selection of government employees competitive exams, rather than ties to politicians or political affiliation...
, President Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
nominated Thoman to be one of three members of the United States Civil Service Commission
United States Civil Service Commission
The United States Civil Service Commission a three man commission was created by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which was passed into law on January 16, 1883...
. He served in that office until 1885. In 1887, he moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and worked to bring the World's Fair
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
there. Thoman married again to Florence B. Smith in 1892. They had one daughter, Dorothy, born in 1893. Thoman died at his home in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, in 1909.