Warren John "Jack" Thomas was born December 20, 1882, in Salt Lake City. His parents, David Palmer and Margaret Davies Thomas emigrated from Wales, England to the United States in 1878. Thomas married Susan Alice Hathenbruck in 1905, their marriage being later solemnized in the LDS temple. The couple had four children: Armand John, Kenneth Jerome, Warren Earl, and Dorothy Alice. Susan Alice Thomas died October 28, 1915, two days after the birth of their fourth child in Pocatello, Idaho. The family returned to Salt Lake City where Thomas met Laura Emmabelle Stevens, a nurse at the LDS Hospital. Jack and Laura were married in the Salt Lake LDS temple January 17, 1920, and had two sons: Gwyn Stevens and Robert David. Laura Thomas died of cancer May 24, 1928. On October 16, 1929, Thomas married Emma Elizabeth Lindsey in the Salt Lake LDS temple.
Jack Thomas began a long career with the railroads in 1900 when he went to work in the baggage department of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. He was an employee of the Union Pacific Railroad for fifty-two years, retiring as General Passenger Agent, Western Division, in 1952.
Thomas sang with a number of musical groups in Salt Lake City including the Emma Lucy Gates Salt Lake Opera Company, the Salt Lake Oratorio Society, and the Orpheus Club, a male chorus established in 1892. In 1916, he became a member of the Tabernacle Choir and was appointed tour manager. As tour manager, Jack Thomas was the instigator of the Choir's first tour to Europe in 1955. For many years he raised funds to bring guest conductors and soloists to the Salt Lake Tabernacle for the annual rendition of "The Messiah," and to bring world famous artists to give concerts in the Tabernacle.
Throughout his life, Thomas was active in community organizations and civic affairs. He was a member of the Salt Lake Kiwanis Club from 1935 to 1972, serving as president of the organization in 1942. In addition, he was chairman of the Music Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, director of the Family Service Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Alta Club, Travelers' Aid Society, and Boy Scouts of America.
Jack Thomas died in Salt Lake City August 29, 1973.
The Jack Thomas papers (1928-1973) consist of various materials regarding Warren John "Jack" Thomas (1882-1973), a Utah railroad worker and member of the LDS Church's Tabernacle Choir. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, choir programs, news clippings, and Kiwanis Club papers.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Gift of Alice Thomas Rumel in 1988.
Processed by Allesen Peck in 1988.
Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0506).
Letters Thomas received from family and friends congratulating him on his accomplishments.
A history booklet which outlines the choir's activities from its inception in 1849 through the early 1960s.
Choir newsletter.
Letters to Thomas from Richard L. Evans and Heber J. Grant congratulating Thomas on his work with the choir.
In this book Thomas described the advanced arrangements that were made for the excursion and provided a detailed record of the choir's activities while in Europe.
Letters Thomas received regarding Kiwanis Club activities.
The Salt Lake Kiwanis Club sponsored the Bergen concert as a fund raising project for the group's underprivileged youth program. Included are correspondence and arrangement materials.
The newsclippings in these folders were removed from a scrapbook. The clippings document the activities of the Salt Lake Kiwanis Club in 1942, and Thomas's affiliation with the group.
The Orpheus Club was a male chorus established in 1892 in Salt Lake City. Thomas sang with the chorus for over twenty-five years and acted as the group's business manager for a number of years.
Program from the final performance at the Salt Lake Theatre.
A letter from LDS church officials inviting Thomas to the dedicatory service and an admittance ticket.