James Henry Thomas (1874-1949) was born in Newport, Monmouthshire and led his first strike shortly after starting work as a engine-cleaner with the Great Western Railway in 1889. In 1898, he attended the annual conference of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and was elected to various union posts, becoming assistant secretary of the newly formed National Union of Railwaymen in 1913 and General Secretary from 1917. He was TUC President in 1920.

He also embarked on a political career - as a local councillor in Swindon from 1901 and as MP for Derby from 1910-1936. During the 1926 General Strike he was a member of the Special Industrial Committee (later the Negotiating Committee) which handled most of the TUC negotiations. He was one of the main supporters of the proposals to end the strike contained in the Samuel Memorandum.

This photograph shows Thomas in his office as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1924.

Title	J.H. Thomas, 1924
Maker	--
Production Date	1924
Format	Photograph
Copyright	--
Holding Institution	TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University
Related Objects	--