As part of their new series Identity, Value, and Politics, The History Department and the EJB team hosted their first speaker Westtown alum Nick Thomas ’02. Nick ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as an Independent Candidate in Colorado’s 2nd District in 2018. He currently serves the American Friends Service Committee as the clerk of the Committee on Friends Relations. Nick is also an actor, most recently with starring roles in An Egypt Affair (2023) and Amazon Queen (2021).
As his bio notes, “Nick grew up within the formative walls of the Boulder Friends Meeting, which he still considers his primary Meeting. He also attends, when possible, the Estes Park Friends/Unitarian group where his parents reside, Intermountain Yearly Meeting, and whatever Meeting he can find in the cities he visits. Nick attended Westtown School and Earlham College, wanting in both to seek out a greater understanding of Quaker practices and values beyond his upbringing. Outside, he is a proven generalist with a particular passion in politics – especially around climate activism and national service; and is also a pilot, actor and producer, and often involved in event management. In 2005 he spent half a year living with, and working as personal assistant to, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and has long supported the initiatives and Beloved Community principles of the Martin Luther King Center. He holds a Masters in International Diplomacy and an MBA, was chosen as a 2015 Gabr Fellow, 2008 Congressional Youth Ambassador to South Korea, and as an OFA Fellow. He is an Eagle Scout and Rotarian, a lifetime member and supporter of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and of Hosteling International, and a Board member of AREI.”
During his visit with groups of students, Nick spoke about his family’s personal connections with Coretta Scott King and her family, as well as how his Quakerism and experiences at Westtown and beyond have shaped his life philosophy and political beliefs. He described how a commitment to peace and nonviolence informed leaders in the civil rights movement, and he shined a light on movements for peace including the Christmas truce of World War I and the worldwide ceasefire of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, led by Andrew Young. He discussed the dangers of political polarization and how rank-choice voting and embracing independent candidates might help us move beyond a two-party political system. Nick encouraged students to take positive risks as he has in his own life, most recently leading to his roles in several recent movies. ~Louisa Egan Brad, Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging
