Thomas Oliver may refer to:

Oliver M. Thomas, Jr. (born February 10, 1957), is a Democratic politician from New Orleans. He served on the New Orleans City Council from 1994 to 2007. On August 13, 2007, Thomas resigned his council seat after pleading guilty to bribery charges.

Early life and family

Thomas was born in New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward, the son of a laborer and a telephone operator. After graduating from Joseph S. Clark High School, he was able to go to college after receiving an athletic scholarship. In 1982, Thomas received a bachelor's degree in business studies from the College of Santa Fe, a liberal arts institution in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

After graduation, he spent several years on the East Coast working as an account executive for a travel company. He returned to New Orleans in 1985, where he worked as a substitute teacher and began volunteering in a number of political campaigns.

He is married to Angelle (Laraque) Thomas. They have one daughter.

Political career

Thomas began his political career as a member of BOLD, a political organization based in New Orleans’s Central City neighborhood. A protégé of BOLD leader and longtime city councilor Jim Singleton, Thomas was appointed a legislative aide to Singleton in 1986. He then worked as a capital projects manager for the city’s Downtown Development District, and as a property manager for a firm in private industry.