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Former Secretary of State Thyra Thomson has died

A woman who served Wyoming as Secretary of State for 24 years has died.  Thyra Thomson died Tuesday at the age of 96.

She was elected to the office in 1962, just two years after her husband Congressman and U-S Senator-elect Keith Thomson  died of a heart attack.  Thyra Thomson served until 1987.  Thomson was an advocate for comparable worth, equal pay for women and affordable day care.  During a 1993 interview for the state archive’s she noted that wage disparity was a serious issue and tried to work on it.

“It was natural for me to pursue it not only in the state, but nationwide because Wyoming was the equality state.  We had the reputation…it seemed to me that it was incongruous that we should fall so far behind.” 

She also wrote several articles about that and similar issues.

Thomson was named an International Woman of Distinction by women educators, a Distinguished Alumna by the University of Wyoming, a Woman of Achievement by press women, and has been cited by professional and academic honor societies for economics, commerce, and education.  Noting that she reared and educated three sons, she was cited in “Mothers of Achievement in American History 1776-1976”. 

Details about memorial services are pending.

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