Robert P. Thomas was born on June 7, 1918 in Highland Park to William and Lucy Thomas. Since 1928, he has lived in Ferndale and has been a photographer for 55 years.

Mr. Thomas was a graduate of Lincoln High class of 1937. His talents emerged early. Even in the high school yearbook (1937) he was listed as active in the rifle club, play cast, photography club, and as class president. Under his class picture is the phrase "A self-starter needs no crank to yank." While in high school, he became interested in photography and later attended and graduated from the Winona Professional School of Photography in Indiana.

He worked for Barth Studios for 12 years before opening his own studio in a house on Marshfield in 1952. After about 3 years he moved his studio to 715 Livernois where he operated until 1997.

Mr. Thomas received many awards for his photographs and certificates for his volunteerism. In 1984, he received a Citation of Merit from the Ferndale Police Department for reporting a crime in progress which allowed the police to immediately apprehend the perpetrators. He was a Past President of the Exchange Club, a Board member of the Kenny Foundation, and worked for several years on the American Field Service committee.