Jefferson Thomas

Jefferson Thomas
Thomas in 1957
Born
Jefferson Allison Thomas

(1942-09-19)September 19, 1942
DiedSeptember 5, 2010(2010-09-05) (aged 67)
EducationWayne State University
Los Angeles State College
MovementCivil Rights Movement
SpouseMary Thomas
AwardsCongressional Gold Medal
Spingarn Medal

Jefferson Allison Thomas (September 19, 1942 – September 5, 2010) was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1999, Thomas and the other students of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton.