The Honorable Royce P. Thomas graduated from Blue Ridge School in Hendersonville, North Carolina and afterwards attended Duke University. He was stationed in Korea with the 45th Infantry Division in 1951 and 1952 and graduated from the 29th Class of the Infantry Officer Candidate School on 26 September 1952, after which he was assigned to the 47th Infantry Division at Fort Rucker, AL. He was discharged from active duty in September of 1953 and subsequently served three years in the Army National Guard as Company Commander of Company D, 120th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division. After his tour of active duty with the military, Bo Thomas returned to Hendersonville, NC where he built a thriving produce distribution business which now encompasses a wide portion of North America. He has been accepted as a trading member of the product industry’s Blue Book, an award based on ability and integrity. | Senator Thomas is deeply involved in the affairs of his community and his memberships include First Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, NC (Board of Deacons), the American Legion, the VFW, the AMVETS, and the Iron Dukes. In 1980 Senator Thomas was elected Chairman of the 11th Congressional District of the Democratic Party of North Carolina. He was re-elected to the North Carolina Senate on 4 November 1980, where his duties include Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance; member of the Senate Committees on Election Laws, Insurance, Judiciary III, Local Government and Regional Affairs, Manufacturing, Labor and Commerce, and Redistricting—Senate.