Kenneth Thomas (chess player)
Kenneth Thomas (born February 24, 1938) was Chief Financial Officer of the United States Chess Federation from April 23 to December 31, 2004. He took over the position of CFO of the USCF during a period of great financial distress, with the USCF having lost money seven years in a row, with total losses amounting to $1.7 million. He was hired by Bill Goichberg. Because the USCF was in severe financial difficulty, he agreed to work for far below the normal salary. He restored the federation to profitability and financial solvency.
Ken Thomas was born in Mead, Oklahoma during the great Dust Bowl. Three of his siblings died of starvation and Ken nearly died as well. After World War II, Ken with his family moved to New Jersey. He graduated from Bound Brook High School there.
Thomas served in the US Army, Ordnance Corps from 1961 to 1964 as a sergeant. He worked in nuclear weapon assembly. He worked in the in Sandia Base, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was a mechanic in the internal workings of Nuclear Weapons.
Later he was transferred to Lüdenscheid, West Germany, and attached to the German army, the Bundeswehr where he worked on secret weapons in the . He speaks German. He traveled all over Western Europe arming and disarming nuclear weapons. He also played chess there and twice participated in the European Army Championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
After completing his military service, he graduated from the University of Houston in 1972 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and from that school's (now MBA) in 1974. He bought a home in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where he lives today. He founded the in September, 1972.
Long an active chess organizer, tournament director, and tournament player, he has been Editor of and a member of the Board of Directors of the . He is currently the Treasurer of the NJSCF. Thomas was an auditor for Litton Industries and Thomas & Betts and later was Controller for of Morris County, New Jersey and Controller for of South Orange, New Jersey. He was an Adjunct Professor and the Accounting Manager and and taught Managerial Accounting and courses at Centenary College of Hackettstown, NJ.
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- 1938 births
- Living people
- People from Bryan County, Oklahoma
- American chess players
- University of Houston alumni
- United States Army soldiers
- American chief financial officers