Edwin Keith Thomson

Edwin Keith Thomson was born in Newcastle, Wyoming on February 8, 1919. He attended the public schools in Beulah, Wyoming, and Spearfish, South Dakota. He graduated from the University of Wyoming Law School in 1941. During World War II, he was called to active duty on March 24, 1941. He commanded the Second Battalion, 362d Infantry Regiment, 91st Division and was released from active duty as a lieutenant colonel on January 24, 1946. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and the Italian Cross of Valor.

He was admitted to the Wyoming Bar in 1941 and commenced the practice of law in Cheyenne in February, 1946. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1952 and a member of the State House of Representatives, 1952-1954. He was elected as a Republican of the United States House of Representatives and served from January 3, 1955, until his death. He was elected to the United States Senate on November 8, 1960, for the term commencing January 3, 1961. He died in Cody, Wyoming, on December 9, 1960, before he took office. Interment was in Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, Virginia.

Following his death, Thomson's wife Thyra entered politics, serving as Secretary of State.