Alice E. Thomas

Bio

Alice Lagerstrom was born and grew up in the state of Kansas, the youngest of three daughters of Carl E. and Anna Josephine Lagerstrom. Father Carl Lagerstrom was an immigrant farmer from Sweden.

Alice graduated with a B.S. degree from Bethany College, Kansas and by age 23 (1930 U.S. Census) was a public school teacher in Winona Township, Logan County, Kansas. By the year 1940, Alice Lagerstrom was an instructor at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. It is likely she had completed her M.A. degree from Columbia University by that time.

Alice married Harold W. Thomas in March of 1947 at the Chapel in the Hill, Fort Lawton, King County, Washington. The marriage document confirms Alice was serving in the U.S. Army and held the rank of First Lieutenant.

In 1955 Alice E. Thomas began her teaching career as Assistant Professor at San Diego State College in the Department of Home Economics. She also served as Chair of the Department from 1963 to 1966. Her teaching included courses in food & nutritional sciences. By the time of her retirement, she had been promoted to the rank of Professor. She retired in 1974 and was given the status of Professor Emeritus of Family Studies & Consumer Sciences, the name of the Department/School at that time.

Alice and husband Harold Thomas lived in San Diego for the remaining years of their lives. Alice passed away in October 1983 at the age of 77. Harold died in November 1988, also at the age of 77.

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