He graduated in 1917 from a Baptist Mission school, Bacone College, and joined the U.S. Army,[1] where he served in France during World War I,[3] returning the U.S. in 1919.
[1] According to Lawney Reyes, he worked closely with Eliot Ness, and was instrumental in putting Al Capone in prison.
[3] He briefly went into private practice in 1928 in Alaska, but soon relocated to Washington state, his home for the rest of his life.
[1][3] After leaving the bench, he returned to private practice, establishing Wicks Thomas firm in Okanogan.
In 1973 he served on pro tempore on the Washington Supreme Court, dealing with the constitutional questions of Yelle vs.