John D. Thomas is a 1957 graduate of Columbia High School. He graduated from West Chester University in 1961, and earned a graduate degree from Temple University in 1965. As a student at Columbia High, John earned varsity letters in football, wrestling, and track. He was co-captain of the football team, and finished his senior year of wrestling with an undefeated record in dual meet competition. John also participated in football and wrestling while attending West Chester University. He was elected president of the Varsity Letterman's Organization. After receiving his diploma from West Chester, John coached football, wrestling, and track at Hempfield, Warwick, and Manheim Central High Schools, all located in Lancaster County. While at Manheim Central, his teams continued to dominate the Lancaster County League opponents by winning 110 meets without a single loss. One of the highlights of John's coaching career was the dual meet between Manheim Central and Solanco High School, which was held at the Hershey Sports Arena. In front of 4,500 fans, Manheim dominated Solanco with a winning score of 28-11. John left the teaching profession in 1967 to pursue other career interests, but he continued his involvement with wrestling for the next 40 years by organizing clinics and tournaments, as well as coaching on the elementary level. In an effort to help improve the level of competition in Berks County wrestling, John helped form the Berks Mat Club, which is a highly respected organization consisting of coaches, officials, parents, and dedicated fans of the sport. John is presently coaching football in Chester County, and coaching junior high wrestling in the Wyomissing Area School District. He is a member of the Berks County Wrestling Hall of Fame. For the past 15 years, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.