William Reuben Thomas
Encyclopedia
William Reuben Thomas was a politician and businessman from Gainesville, Florida
.
. After graduating college he became a teacher at the East Florida Seminary. There he gained the title Major which he retained throughout his life.
for four years in the Florida Senate. Out of office, Thomas also provided political leadership. When, in 1923, Gainesville’s then mayor and police chief condoned criminal activity by the Ku Klux Klan
, Thomas wrote an editorial calling for both men to resign. Compared to other cities, Gainesville was relatively immune to Klan incited violence. Contemporary commentators have attributed this to Major Thomas’ willingness to publicly stand against those who supported the Klan.
provided more luxurious accommodations to tourists. Thomas sold $160,000 worth of bonds to raise money to convert his private residence in northeast Gainesville into the Hotel Thomas
in 1926. The renovation included consolidation of six city blocks. Today the City of Gainesville owns the building which is now named the William Reuben Thomas Center
, and which houses city offices, event space, and cultural and historical exhibits.
. During the summer of 1905, Florida Governor Napoleon B. Broward
established a board to consolidate the state’s education system under a single regulatory body and to establish a single university for white males. Mayor Thomas led the campaign to locate this university in Gainesville. Thomas personally donated 517 acres (2.1 km²) of land to entice the state to choose Gainesville. He succeeded and Thomas Hall
, one of the first two buildings constructed at the University of Florida, is named in Major Thomas’ honor.
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
.
Background
Thomas was a native of Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. After graduating college he became a teacher at the East Florida Seminary. There he gained the title Major which he retained throughout his life.
Political leadership
Major Thomas served six terms as Gainesville’s mayor from 1901 through 1907. He ushered in the city’s first paved streets, sidewalks, sewers, and electric lights. He also represented Alachua CountyAlachua County, Florida
Alachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...
for four years in the Florida Senate. Out of office, Thomas also provided political leadership. When, in 1923, Gainesville’s then mayor and police chief condoned criminal activity by the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, Thomas wrote an editorial calling for both men to resign. Compared to other cities, Gainesville was relatively immune to Klan incited violence. Contemporary commentators have attributed this to Major Thomas’ willingness to publicly stand against those who supported the Klan.
Business
Thomas was an active businessman owning banks and hardware, livery and stable, and grocery businesses. Thomas also owned two hotels. The White House Hotel was a hostelry, or home for travelers, that Thomas opened in 1909. The Hotel ThomasHotel Thomas
The Hotel Thomas, also known as Sunkist Villa but currently known as the Thomas Center, is an historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the block bounded by Northeast 2nd and 5th Streets and Northeast 6th and 7th Avenues...
provided more luxurious accommodations to tourists. Thomas sold $160,000 worth of bonds to raise money to convert his private residence in northeast Gainesville into the Hotel Thomas
Hotel Thomas
The Hotel Thomas, also known as Sunkist Villa but currently known as the Thomas Center, is an historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the block bounded by Northeast 2nd and 5th Streets and Northeast 6th and 7th Avenues...
in 1926. The renovation included consolidation of six city blocks. Today the City of Gainesville owns the building which is now named the William Reuben Thomas Center
Hotel Thomas
The Hotel Thomas, also known as Sunkist Villa but currently known as the Thomas Center, is an historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the block bounded by Northeast 2nd and 5th Streets and Northeast 6th and 7th Avenues...
, and which houses city offices, event space, and cultural and historical exhibits.
University of Florida
Major Thomas’ most lasting accomplishment was securing Gainesville as the home of the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. During the summer of 1905, Florida Governor Napoleon B. Broward
Napoleon B. Broward
Napoleon Bonaparte Broward was the 19th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida from January 3, 1905 to January 5, 1909. He also served as the sheriff of Duval County, Florida, and in the Florida House of Representatives....
established a board to consolidate the state’s education system under a single regulatory body and to establish a single university for white males. Mayor Thomas led the campaign to locate this university in Gainesville. Thomas personally donated 517 acres (2.1 km²) of land to entice the state to choose Gainesville. He succeeded and Thomas Hall
Thomas Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
Thomas Hall, built in 1905, is a historic building located in Murphree Area on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States...
, one of the first two buildings constructed at the University of Florida, is named in Major Thomas’ honor.