Today, September 25 marks the 11th Anniversary of the passing of Dr. Alvin I. Thomas, president emeritus of Prairie View A&M University. It was on this day in 2013 that heralded call to heaven and the people in the village shouted “the chief has left the village!” Dr. Thomas was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence P. Thomas and Lillian Gilbert Thomas, a brother, Talmadge J. Thomas, and a sister Sr. Mary Francine (N. E. Grace M. Thomas).
He was born on September 7, 1925 in New Orleans, Louisiana and attended elementary school at Holy Ghost Catholic School and Corpus Christi Catholic School. He attended New Orleans’ public middle and high school at Tommy LaFon and graduated from McDonald No. 35 Public School.
Thomas began his college studies at Xavier University of New Orleans for two years prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army to serve his country in World War II. During war he served in the United States, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, the Philippines and Korea. After his honorable discharge from the Army he enrolled at Kansas State College, where he received the Bachelors and Masters Degree. While at Kansas State College, he was elected to Honor Society in Mathematics, Honor Society in Physics, and Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society in Technology. He later enrolled at Pennsylvania State University, and then Ohio State University where he received his Ph.D. degree 1957. As a youth, Dr. Thomas was an active member of Boy Scout Troop 134 in New Orleans, LA. He continued his interest and financial support of the Boy Scouts Program in Prairie View with Troop 141 and Cub Pack 332 until his death. During his tenure he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the highest for scouting support and saw several of the faculty, including Dr. Jewel Berry and Dr. Edward Martin also receiving that award.
Dr. Thomas joined the Prairie View A&M faculty in February 1949 as a professor and later served as Director of the Technology Division, Dean of the College of Industrial Education and Technology and then appointed President of the College on November 22, 1966. Early in his administration, with the approval of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, through his visionary leadership he established a Centennial Council and engaged some 100 professionals from academia, business, clergy and government to chart the course for the university with a 1970-1980 long range Development Plan to guide the university into first class recognition. Meetings were conducted at strategic geographical areas throughout the State of Texas. These meetings included community leaders, alumni, business leaders, grass roots, citizens, students, etc. The outcome of the council work was an exhaustive long-range plan which still impacts the growth of the University. Incidentally, part of that plan was the incorporation of the City of Prairie View in 1969, an outgrowth of the Community Chess, the forerunner for citizens involvement in municipal government.
As an outgrowth of this plan and its recommendations, the Texas State Legislature approved the name change to Prairie View A&M University and its status as an independent unit of The Texas A&M University System was reconfirmed, effective August 15, 1973. The term "A&M" was also confirmed as a symbol for the system reaffirming the commitment to the land-grant status and agricultural and mechanical sciences. The long range plan included a major campus renovation and construction program that included the purchase of the nine-story Hermann building in the Texas Medical Center, which was renovated for the Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing. The plan also led to tremendous changes in curricula, student services, facilities, degrees, the Cooperative Extension Program and the Agricultural Research Center, and the Kiki De Legarza International Dairy Goat Center, the first of its kind in the nation which contributed to the collaborations with the countries of Ethiopa, Liberia and Jamaica.
His political prowess manifested itself through his relationship and knowledge of working with the legislature with increased political capital for support of Prairie View A&M University and gaining its rightful part of the Permanent University Fund with the passage of the constitutional amendment in 1984, enjoyed more today by his successors. Part of his new vision called for the establishment of the Law and Medical Schools and several Doctoral degrees and campus expansion for Prairie View A&M University under the 1982 Office of Civil Rights agreement with the Federal Government by the State of Texas in the Target 2000 Plan for removing 'dejure segregation' in public higher education. While he did not achieve a medical or law school or the expansion of the university in the state, his legacy lives on. In my opinion, the recent release of information from the whitehouse on the underfunding of public HBCU's is a testament to Dr. Thomas' fight for equity for Prairie View A&M University.
Dr. Thomas believed that the primary purpose of Prairie View A&M University was the development of human capital from a wholistic approach perspective focusing on ethical and moral values, cultural literacy, professional and technical knowledge, skills and leadership characteristics to enable self-sufficiency, and to preserve and strengthen our democracy and the free enterprise system in a pluristic society.
This philosophy led to the creation of numerous undergraduate and graduate degrees during his administration. The university’s enrollment increased more that 30%. The number of graduates increased from 605 in 1966 to 1135 in 1982. During the period 1966 to 1982, twenty-one new honor societies were established in academic areas throughout the University. In 1969, Dr. Thomas commissioned a group and established chapters of the social fraternities and sororities of the National Pan Hellenic Council, including Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Iota Phi Theta, along with the installation of the undergraduate Pan Hellenic Council. Prior to this time, the students formed social clubs which was the beginning of these organizations. In 1968, with the support of Texas Congressman George H. Walker Bush, the Navy ROTC Program was established at the university, the first and only Navy ROTC unit at a historically Black university. During his tenure, the Prairie View A&M Naval ROTC unit commissioned more African-American Naval Officers than any other university, other than the Naval Academy. Most noted among the officers is Vice Admiral David L. Brewer, several captains and commanders. Also the number of Army ROTC officers commissioned rose from 25 per year to almost 100 per year with several Generals and Brigadeir Generals including Marvin Brailesford, Julius Becton, Julian Parker. His commitment to the Arm Forces, no doubt helped paved the way for the promotion of Brigadier General Antoinette R. Gant, the first female officer from the PVAMU AROTC unit and the first African American female, active-duty engineer to be promoted to that rank.
In 1969, Prairie View A&M University purchased a franchise in the Miss Texas/Miss America Scholarship Pageant, the only historically Black university to provide its students with this opportunity. Among the many innovative college and pre-college programs established were the Junior Fellow/Senior Fellow Residence Hall Programs, Student Honor Roll Banquet, Experiment-in-Living, Engineering Concepts Institute, Minority Introductions to Engineering (MITE), Premedical Concepts Institute (the forrunner of the Pre-Medical Academy), Operation Success, Operation Vanguard, Project Pride, Century II Book Review and the University Reading List, and the Pride of Prairie View Club to build self-esteem and empower young women and men, the University Without Walls, the Weekend College for adult students. Additionally, his personable approach to management and recognition led to the creation of the monthly faculty and staff recognition program and monthly birthday parties for the students. It was from this background and the success of 1973 Homecoming festivities in November that Dr. Thomas developed the slogan: “Prairie View Produces Productive People.”
From 1982-1983, Dr. Thomas served as Executive Vice-President for Development and in 1983, he became Director, Houston Nursing Facility. He retired from active service with the University in August 1992. The University established, and he maintained the Office of President-Emeritus in the Prairie View A&M University, College of Nursing Center in the Texas Medical Center.
Dr. Thomas’ altruism extended to the community through his services on many boards and programs including as a consultant to Dow Chemical Company, Litton Industries, and Westinghouse Management Service. He served as a member of the White House Conference on Children and Youth, the Governor’s Commission on Rural Development, and was active on many committees and councils of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. He was also a leader in the incorporation of the City of Prairie View in 1968-69. He also founded and directed the Carver Institute African American Think Thank in 1990 and helped to form the Liberia Cutting Group, Inc. in 2008. He worked in Liberia, West Africa and helped to restructure the Booker T. Washington Technical Institute at Kakata, Liberia, established in 1926 by the Phelp Stokes Fund. He was a member of President George H.W. Bush’s delegation to observe the election in Namibia, South Africa. In 1973, on the recommendation of Dr. Doris L. Johnson, Bahamas Senate President, the May Commencement Speaker, he established the Prairie View-Bahamas Friendship Scholarship Program to commemorate the independence of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, which resulted in 30 students enrolling at Prairie View A&M University in September 1973, later to be supported by the Bahamas Government. Since then more than 200 Bahamians have earned degrees from the university.
To commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the University, Dr. Thomas established the Centennial Council and organized the university’s first Capital Campaign culminating with the Centennial Endowment Banquet in 1978, in Houston, Texas. Dr. Thomas is a recipient of many honors including the Epsilon Pi Tau Laureate Citation for Administrative Leadership; Distinguished Alumni Award from Kansas State College; Holt Fellow, Yale University; Distinguished Alumni Award, Ohio State University; Outstanding Educational Service Medal by The Republic of Liberia; the Eagle Scout Award, the Boy Scout Silver Beaver Award from the Texas San Jacinto Council of the Boy Scouts of America Houston; the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, the second highest civilian given by the U.S. Army; and the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the highest civilian award given by the U.S. Department of the Army. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi (Nu Boule). In 1974, Dr. Thomas was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Houston Branch). He served as Chairman of the Board from 1977-1979.
By action of the Board of Regents, The Texas A&M University System, Dr. Thomas was given the permanent title of President-Emeritus in April 1983. In December 2002, in recognition of his contributions and distinguished services to Prairie View A&M University, the Board of Regents named the University Administration Building the Alvin I. Thomas Building.
Dr. Thomas is survived by his loving and devoted wife Clarissa Gamble Thomas; Iris Butler Thomas, the mother of his four children: - sons, Kenneth C. Thomas and Michael D. Thomas (Lark McCarthy); and daughters, Janet M. Thomas and Julie E. Thomas; his sister Joyce Thomas Mouton, brother Henry James Thomas (Sadie), and brother Aldon A. Thomas (Barbara). Other relatives include a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. At his passing his surviving extended family includes Mary Bush Johnson, Rosie L. Matlock and Frederick V. Roberts Esquire; and his church family at St. Mary of the Purification Church, Rosedale at Ennis.
Friends may continue his legacy of service and academic achievement for students and staff with contributions to the Dr. Alvin I. Thomas Memorial Endowment at Prairie View A&M University, Office of Development, P.O. Box: 519 M.S. 1200, Prairie View, TX 77446 . For information call (936) 261-1550 or email: development@pvamu.edu.
