Craig Thomas was born February 17, 1933 in Cody to Craig E. and Marge Thomas. His family had come to Wyoming in 1920's and his father worked as math teacher and principal of Cody High School. Craig Thomas graduated from Cody High School in 1950. He earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Wyoming in 1955 and served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of captain.

Thomas worked as the executive Vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau from 1956-1966 and as a legislative assistant for the American Farm Bureau before becoming the general manager of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association in Casper from 1975 to 1989.

He was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives from Natrona County in 1984 and served in that body until the time of his election to the U.S. Congress. He was instrumental in the planning process for at major reorganization of Wyoming's state government which is now in the process of being implemented.

After three terms in Wyoming House of Representatives, he was elected in 1989 in a special election to fill out the unexpired U.S. House term of Dick Cheney after Cheney resigned to become Secretary of Defense in the George H. W. Bush administration. Thomas was reelected to full terms in 1990 and 1992. In 1994, he defeated Gov. Mike Sullivan for the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 2000 and in 2006. Soon after his final re-election, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He died June 4, 2007.

Craig Thomas and his wife Susan (Roberts) have four children (Peter, Paul, Patrick, Alexis).

Additional Resources

•  Craig L. Thomas obituary, Wyoming Tribune Eagle, 6/9/2007
•  Craig Lyle Thomas biography, Craig and Susan Thomas Foundation, accessed May 2015
•  Craig Lyle Thomas papers, 1963-2007 (bulk 1989-2007), Collection Number 11679, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.