[1] He was the tenth child born to Mary Anne (née Trebilcock) and Edward Solomon, who had moved to Longford in 1862.

When Lewis retired in June 1912, Solomon became premier, attorney-general, and minister of education, but he had a bare majority of one and it required much tact and finesse to keep the ministry going until April 1914.

Attention was given to education and considerable additions were made to the number of state and high schools.

Never a robust man, Solomon's health broke down, likely from stress, and he died at Hobart aged 38 on 5 October 1914.

In his second reading speech on the bill, he stated it was "an attempt to grapple with a very difficult problem" relating to "the remnants of the aboriginal population" who had been "allowed to run wild".