Martha Gibbons Thomas
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Martha Gibbons Thomas | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 2nd district | |
| In office 1923–1926 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 13, 1869 |
| Died | June 26, 1942 (aged 73) |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Bryn Mawr College (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician, suffragist, farmer |
Martha Gibbons Thomas (February 13, 1869 – June 26, 1942) was an American politician, suffragist, and dairy farmer from Chester County. She became one of the first women elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, belonging to a cohort of eight women representatives elected in 1922. Thomas won reelection in 1924. She did not seek a third term.[1]
Thomas was born on February 13, 1869, to parents J. Preston Thomas and Hannah J. Gibbons in Whitford, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Her father was a prosperous farmer and civic leader who held numerous local offices, including president of the Bank of Chester County, director of the Poor of Chester County, a co-founder of Chester County Hospital, and a trustee of the West Chester State Normal School and Haverford College. Martha Thomas grew up on farms, including Whitford Farm, which William Penn had granted to her Quaker ancestors eight generations earlier and which her father had reacquired in 1885.[2]
Completing her secondary education via homeschooling, Thomas attended Bryn Mawr College, where she studied chemistry and biology. In 1889, she received her Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree as one of the college's first graduating class. She worked as warden of Pembroke Residence Hall at Bryn Mawr from 1896 to 1914 and took graduate coursework in English and history.[3][4] She also served as an officer and eventually on the board of directors of the college's alumni association.[5]