Page 9 - 1955

The retirement of L. Ralston Thomas after thirty-four
years of service to Moses Brown School brings to a close
the longest administration in the School’s history. All
those connected with the School deeply regret his leaving,
for Mr. Thomas has been one of the most outstanding and
most popular headmasters in Moses Brown School’s history.
Besides being a very capable educational administrator,
he has been a living example of a distinguished and friend­
ly gentleman for all boys who have been privileged to
attend Moses Brown School in the last thirty-four years.
The spiritual, physical, mental, and social development of
the youth under his guidance will always be a tribute
to him.
L. Ralston Thomas matriculated at Haverford College
in the fall of 1909, achieving there a very enviable record.
In his freshman year in addition to the academic work,
he was a track star, won his numeral in track, soccer, and
cricket, and was a member of the class football team. He
received the Congdon Prize Ball for the Best Freshman
Bowler and toured England with the cricket team. As a
sophomore he won his letter in track, was on the College
Relay Team, captained the class track team, and played
football and soccer. In his junior and senior years he was
a letterman in football, soccer, and track, captained the
track and soccer teams, and was a member of the class
Mr. Thomas gym team. In addition to his sports and other extracurricu­
Circa 1922 lar activities, Mr. Thomas held the offices of class treasurer,
secretary, and president during his years at Haverford.

After his graduation from Haverford in 1913, Mr.
Thomas returned to his own preparatory school, Westtown
School, Westtown, Pennsylvania. There he served as science
teacher and physical director for four years. In the spring
of 1917 he had planned to come to Moses Brown School,
but America’s entrance into World War I delayed his
coming. As a volunteer relief worker for the American
Friends Service Committee, he completed two years’ serv­
ice in France. Then from 1919-1922 he was a member of
the Moses Brown faculty as teacher of chemistry and
physics, physical director, and track coach. After teaching
three years at Moses Brown, he was appointed principal of
Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia, where he remained
for two years before succeeding Dr. Gifford as headmaster
of Moses Brown School in 1924. He received his master
of education degree at Harvard in 1925.
During the administration of Mr. Thomas many changes
have been made. Probably the most important change
occurred in 1925 when the New England Yearly Meeting
of Friends acquired Lincoln School, and Moses Brown be­
came exclusively a boys’ school in 1926. This transforma­
tion was not an easy one, but it was accomplished in a
manner highly satisfactory to everyone. Concerning the
change Frances E. Wheeler, Headmistress Emerita of
Lincoln School, said, "The emigration of the girls from
Moses Brown School to Lincoln School presented various
problems. For their solution we relied constantly on the
unfailing courtesy, wise council and continual interest of
Ralston Thomas.”

Mrs. L. Ralston Thomas