July 15, 1999
Thomas' ties to Midwestern land are lifelong -- he was raised on a grain and livestock farm near Patoka in central Illinois. But he makes his living as a professor of civil engineering at the University of Kansas.
"I am first a college professor, but my passion is my farm," Thomas said. "Some people have a passion for golf; I just enjoy my farm very much."
Steven McCabe, Thomas' colleague and chairman of the KU civil engineering department, said that while others may strive for a balanced life, Thomas seems to have found it.
"He has a strong connection to his roots -- literally and figuratively," McCabe said.
Thomas sees his many roles as just a part of his busy life. He is serving his fifth year of the six-year fair board presidency. His involvement with the fair began nearly 20 years ago when his daughters, Alica and Jessica, were members of Worden Workers, a local branch of the 4-H Club. When a family friend stepped down as fair board member five years ago, he recommended Thomas to take his place. The whole Thomas family becomes involved with the fair each year. Mary Ann, Thomas' wife; Alica, an elementary school teacher in Vinland; and Jessica, a recent KU graduate in music therapy, help with office work.
Roger Flory, owner of Commerce Plaza Gas and Mini-Mart, 3034 Iowa, and fellow board member, describes Thomas' work as tireless.
"I'm sorry to see him leave (next year), he's done a masterful job," Flory said. "He pushed and implemented the use of computers for the board; he's been a real asset."
Before Thomas pushed for computers, the all-volunteer board coordinated the five-day fair out of manila folders and cardboard boxes. Each summer, the fair attracts up to 20,000 people to the Douglas County Fair Grounds in Lawrence. The board coordinates all activities, including hiring entertainment, administering and setting fair rules, resolving differences and planning schedules for the event.
Working out a schedule within a short time frame is nothing new to Thomas. At KU he is the scheduling officer for the civil engineering department, balancing class time and professors' requests. Thomas advises graduate students and teaches mechanics courses in statics and dynamics -- a branch of mechanics that deals with the motion of a system of material particles that are under the influence of forces outside of that system. The courses are fundamental to several types of engineering including civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Thomas has consulted for Kansas City-based engineering firm Burns and McDonnell since 1972, designing pipes and pipe support systems for power plants. More recently Thomas designed the piping for the jet engine test facility at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee.
Stan Rolfe, professor of civil engineering, said that a number of students who were undecided about their major transferred into civil engineering after taking a course taught by Thomas.
"Students really respect him," Rolfe said.
Thomas' hard work and caring have made him a notable figure. Carolyn Wiley, long-time secretary for the civil engineering department, has known Thomas for 21 years. She said that when Thomas first came to KU, he was 24 and had just completed his doctoral degree at the University of Illinois. At KU people called him by his first name, Francis, because he was too shy to tell them that he preferred his middle name, Marion. The KU engineering school is the only place where people call Thomas by his first name, which they still do today.
Despite his shy nature, Thomas is a people person and considers his time on the fair board invaluable.
"I really enjoy working with the rural people of Douglas County," he said. "What you see is what you get."
Story by Rebecca Ulanoff