Thomas Read (politician)

Thomas Read (May 28, 1881 – April 7, 1962) was a Republican politician from Michigan who served in the Michigan House of Representatives including as its Speaker during the 50th Legislature, as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan under Alex J. Groesbeck, as a member of the Michigan State Senate, and as Michigan Attorney General.[1]

Thomas Read
44th Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office January 1, 1919 – December 31, 1920
Governor	Albert E. Sleeper
Preceded by	Wayne R. Rice
Succeeded by	Fred L. Warner
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the Oceana County district
In office January 1, 1915 – December 31, 1920
Succeeded by	Daniel Rankin
36th and 40th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In office January 1, 1921 – December 31, 1924
Governor	Alex J. Groesbeck
Preceded by	Luren Dickinson
Succeeded by	George W. Welsh
In office January 1, 1935 – December 31, 1936
Governor	Frank D. Fitzgerald
Preceded by	Allen E. Stebbins
Succeeded by	Leo J. Nowicki
41st Michigan Attorney General
In office January 1, 1939 – December 31, 1940
Preceded by	Raymond Wesley Starr
Succeeded by	Herbert J. Rushton
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 26th district
In office January 1, 1927 – December 31, 1928
Preceded by	Orville E. Atwood
Succeeded by	Orville E. Atwood
Personal details
Born	(1881-05-28)May 28, 1881 Rochester, New York
Died	April 7, 1962(1962-04-07) (aged 80) Kalamazoo, Michigan
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Ethel
Residence	Shelby, Oceana County, Michigan
Profession	Attorney

Born in Rochester, New York of English and Scottish ancestry to Thomas and Jane Read on May 28, 1881, Read was either a candidate for or served in nearly all state-level offices in Michigan (he was never a candidate for or elected Secretary of State). He was a candidate in the primary for Governor of Michigan in 1924, losing to Alex J. Groesbeck, and 1940, losing to Luren Dickinson.

Read was a presidential elector for Michigan in 1928, casting a ballot for Herbert Hoover, and a delegate to the 1940 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia which nominated Wendell Willkie (who eventually lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan was a candidate for the nomination at that convention.

Read died after surgery at a hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1962.[2] The elementary school in his hometown of Shelby is named for Read.[3]