Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Clifford I. Thoma/font>

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Thursday, August 20, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

CLIFFORD I. THOMA

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A bit of gravel, thrown by a passing car, nicks an auto windshield. A small sound, but the chances are that, wherever it occurs -- California, Maine, Texas--a Fairfield man, probably will catch the echo as he sits behind his desk and directs the nation-wide affairs of his company. That man is Clifford I. Thoma.

Last year the Thoma Glass Inc., handled sixty-eight carloads of fine auto glass, importing much of it directly from Czecho-Slovakia and shipping it directly to Fairfield to be entered through the port of Des Moines.

This company has no competition in the replacemet of auto glass except small dealers who cut and grind their glass in individual jobs. The Thoma company is so well equipped and so well organized, with avenues of distributions so widespread, that it can give unsurpassed service. It has in its files more than fifteen-thousand blueprints that cover every make and model of auto from 1915 to the present day, even when only one car of that type was built and sold, as in the case of new models, tried, not adopted, but the experimental car placed upon the market.

Clifford I. Thoma, who is the genius of this extensive organization, was here. He attended the public schools, went for a time to Parsons college adacemy, and was a student in Prof. R. A. Harkness' academy, which was located in what is now the Elks hall. He played football in the academy, his position being center or guard.

In 1905 he entered the wall paper and drug business with his father, Louis Thoma, and continued actively in the business until 1908 when he took a leave of absence and went to the noted Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston, an institution that now has an endowment of three million dollars which it has not had to touch for running expenses. It was then housed in what is now the home of the music department of Boston Uniersity (sic). it's own building is a million-dollar structure built especially for it. In those days the graduate had to undergo a three-day practical examination by the board of trustees before receiving his diploma. But, that passed, he could go directly to a $300 a month job.

Back home, Mr. Thoma resumed his place in the business of Thoma & Son for a year, at the end of that time taking over the business, his father retiring. It entered the wholesale field in 1913 and did a big business. At one time its stock was warehoused in the two buildings at 104-6 West Burlington, the Lamson building on East Burlington, the ice plant on West Broadway, and the garage at the Thoma home.

The new home of the company, the 100 by 130 brick building on South Depot street, was built in 1919. The company then becoming Thoma & Son, Inc., and Louis Thoma re-entering the firm. It rose to a business of more than a million a year, and then, January 21, 1923, discontinued the jobbing of paint and glass. For in 1921 it originated the auto visor that took the country by storm and made the firm known from one of the country to the other. These visors were made in many models, fitting all cars, and ranged in price from $8 to $50. One, gold-plated and fitted with royal purple vitrolite, was especially manufactured for W. H. Hearst Jr's. Wyllis-Knight. It had his name engraved upon it.

But the auto companies spoiled that business when the value of the visor was so plainly indicated and all companies adopted it as standard equipment, although never so good a visor as the Thoma product.

The Fairfield concern, however, quickly adapted itself to the new situation and saw in glass replacement a profitable field, turning wholly to that in 1923. It entered the glass insurance field with much success, and now meets every need of the auto owner, either plate or shatter-proof glass being provided.

The company is committed to great advertising campaigns, and early saw in radio an opportunity for reaching the public. It now is heard over a number of stations, and is extending and bettering its radio advertising all the time. As a test of the radio appeal, it offered free key chains to radio listeners who would write in for them, and was swamped with replies. In a few weeks it sent out 25,000 chains, but found the burden of office work so heavy that it withdrew the offer.

In order to handle its business with greater facility, it last year opened a branch in auto row--2538 Michigan boulevard, Chicago. But the home office is still in Fairfield, and most of the manufacturing is done here.