WILLIAM A. THOMSON, M.D.  
	The standing of Dr. William A. Thomson, a physician and surgeon of
Regina, is preeminently established by his fellowship in the American
College of Surgeons, a professional organization whose membership re-
quirements are so high that only the men of outstanding ability can meet
them.  In his own city he is known as a man who has worked inde-
fatigably for the betterment of the public health and has left no stone
unturned in accomplishing his purpose. It is chiefly due to his efforts
that a program of school hygiene has been inaugurated, a milk bottling
and pa~teurizing plant established in Regina and many other important
reforms accomplished.
	he physician who has been so successful in improving the physical
well-being of the residents of his city and province, was born in Brock-
ville, Ontario, on the 8th of September, 1869, the son of Alex and Mary
(Herbison) Thomson.  Although his father and mother were born in
Ontario they come from Scotch and Irish stock, respectively.  Mr. and
Mrs. Thomson, who are now living near Saskatoon, have been members
of the Presbyterian church for years. Alex Thomson is a Liberal in his
political views and has held various local offices, such as that of post-
master. He was a pioneer cheese merchant and the builder of the first
cheese factory in East Territory. In fact, he has the qualities of leader-
ship to a marked degree, being always ready to go ahead where others
are content to follow. For this reason he has been a citizen of unusual
value to the communities in which he has lived, for ever since he began
teaching school at the early age of fifteen he has displayed remarkable
initiative and energy.
	William A. Thomson was the third of the seven children born into
this family.  He attended the Brockville high school and obtained his
medical training at Trinity College at Toronto, from which he graduated
in 1893. The young doctor began practice at Douglas, Manitoba, where
he remained for nine years. Following a year spent in practice in Cleve-
land, Ohio, he returned to Canada and came out to Regina, arriving in
this city on the 17th of March, 1903. When he opened an office for the
practice of his profession in Regina, Dr. Thomson was totally unknown
to the people of the community, and he had neither family nor friends
to assist him in getting a start. But his medical skill did more for him
in the end than any amount of friendly influence would have accom
plished. It was not long before it became known in lay circles, as well
as among his professional colleagues, that the new doctor was an un-
usually capable physician and surgeon, and he soon had a large practice.
Since then he has been elected a fellow of the American College of Sur-
geons in recognition of his superior skill in the profession. Dr. Thomson
devotes his entire time to his private practice and public medical work,
doing all in his power to raise the standards of his profession. At fre-
quent intervals he spends a vacation attending famous clinics in Canada
and the United States, where he comes in touch with the leading surgeons
of America and keeps informed as to the latest methods in the diagnosis
and treatment of disease.
	From the civic standpoint Dr. Thomson's greatest accomplishment
has been his exceedingly effective work in promoting public health.
School hygiene is his especial hobby and one that he rides tirelessly.
Acutely conscious of the fact that the health of the men and women of
the coming generation depends to an enormous extent upon the care of
the school children of today, he advocated strenuously and secured the
adoption of a health program for the school children of Regina, which
was followed by the adoption of school hygiene measures as a provincial
policy. He is a member of the Public Health Council of Saskatchewan
and was a leader in securing the passage of the Canada Medical Act and
was a member of the first Canada medical council. The babies and chil-
dren of Regina are deeply indebted to Dr. Thomson for their supply of
pure milk, for he helped to build the first milk pasteurizing plant in the
city and was responsible for the adoption of the system of bottling milk
for delivery.  Another illustration of his enterprise along professional
lines is the fact that he brought the first X-ray machine to Regina.
	Dr. Thomson was married to Miss Jean Witherspoon, a native of
Owen Sound, Ontario, in 1903, and they are the parents of four children:
Donald, who is connected with the Canadian Pacific Railroad; Bright, a
radio expert with~ the Canada Electric Company; and Beth and Mary,
students in the Collegiate Institute.
	The family is affiliated with the Presbyterian church. Dr. Thomson
is a York Rite Mason and a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is a Rotarian
and belongs to the Golf and Country Club and the Assiniboia Club. For
years he has been a director of the local Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion and at one time was its president. During the Great war he was of
great assistance to the Junior Red Cross in carrying on its work, which
was always a matter of much interest to him.  In 1907 and 1908 he
served on the city council of Regina, holding office during a period that
was marked by a thoroughgoing reform in that body, in which the Doctor
took a conspicuous part.  He also was chairman of the school board
for a number of years. Along strictly. professional lines he has served
on the Medical Council for several years and was the first president of
the first Medical Council for Saskatchewan.  In spite of the many de-
mands made upon his time and energies Dr. Thomson keeps in touch
with the progress of events outside of his particular field of endeavor.
He was the first man in Regina to have an automobile and has always
manifested a keen interest in the discoveries and inventions of the sci-
entific world, as well as in political affairs.




Bibliography follows: