Thomas College

Thomas College
Former names	Keist Business College (1894–1896); Morgan Business College (1896–1911); Morgan-Thomas Business College (1911–1950); Thomas Junior College (1950–1962);
Motto	Those we Serve are the Foundation of Our Future
Type	Private college
Established	1894; 130 years ago
Endowment	$21.9 million (2020)
President	Laurie G. Lachance
Provost	Thomas Edwards
Academic staff	80
Students	1,949 (fall 2019)
Undergraduates	1,819 (fall 2019)
Postgraduates	130 (fall 2019)
Location	Waterville, Maine, U.S.; 44°31′28″N 69°39′48″W / 44.52444°N 69.66333°W
Campus	Rural
Colors	Red and black
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – NAC
Mascot	Tommy the Terrier
Website	Official website

Thomas College is a private college in Waterville, Maine, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. As of fall 2019 Thomas College enrolled 1,949 students; 1,819 were undergraduate students and 130 were graduate students.^[3]

History

Keist Business College was established in 1894 when it was founded as a nonsectarian, co-educational college dedicated to career training. It was located on three floors above the F. W. Woolworth Company in the Edith Building on Main Street in Waterville. At the turn of the century, Keist Business College was purchased by William Morgan. It was renamed Morgan Business College in 1896.

In 1911, a Peterborough, New Hampshire railroad administrator, John L. Thomas Sr., who himself was a business college graduate, purchased the college and renamed it Morgan-Thomas Business College. For half a century the college trained accountants and secretaries.

In 1950, the college was renamed Thomas Junior College and in 1956, the college moved from Main Street to the former home of John Ware on Silver Street.

In 1962, Thomas Junior College was renamed Thomas College. In 1963, the Maine State Legislature granted Thomas the right to confer four-year degrees and in 1964 the Mariner Library, named after Chairman of the Thomas College Board of Trustees, Ernest C. Mariner, was opened. In 1965, a theater for lectures and dramatic presentations was constructed, but towards the end of the decade, the college had outgrown its Silver Street campus.^[4]

In 1966, the college purchased more than 70 acres (280,000 m²) of land next on the Kennebec River. The entire college was relocated to the West River Road campus.

In April 2012, the college announced the inauguration of its fifth president, Laurie G. Lachance, M.B.A.'92. Lachance is the first woman and first alumna to head the college.^[5]

Academics

Thomas College offers over 30 undergraduate majors.^[6]

Athletics

Thomas College has 20 varsity athletic programs, which about 45% of the student population participates. Thomas has an esports program,^[7] which was expanded in 2024. Thomas plans to double the size of its esports facilities and equipment, hiring additional coaching staff, and making more room for esports athletes to join. ^[8]

The college mascot is a terrier nicknamed "Tommy" who appears at sporting and other public events.

Alumni include a number of international soccer players, including Mikkail Crockwell and Tre Ming, both of whom played for the Bermuda national football team.^{[citation needed]}