Changes

As a Democratic member of the Arkansas House (1963-1966), Thomasson introduced legislation to add white safety lines to the outside edges of Arkansas highways. He introduced the 1967 bill to change Henderson State Teachers College to Henderson State College; the change finally occurred in 1985. He was a lifelong devotee of his alma mater, now known as Henderson State University.<ref name=findagrave/> When Thomasson ran for attorney general in 1966, he expected to face the Democratic incumbent, [[Bruce Bennett]]. However, in the Democratic [[primary]] election, Joe Edward Purcell (1923-1987) of Benton in Saline County, unseated the [[Segregation|segregationist]]  Bennett, an attorney from El Dorado. During the campaign, both Thomasson and Purcell ran as reformers.<ref> ''Arkansas Outlook,'' August 1966.</ref>

As a Democratic member of the Arkansas House (1963-1966), Thomasson introduced legislation to add white safety lines to the outside edges of Arkansas highways. He introduced the 1967 bill to change Henderson State Teachers College to Henderson State College; the change finally occurred in 1985. He was a lifelong devotee of his alma mater, now known as Henderson State University.<ref name=findagrave/> When Thomasson ran for attorney general in 1966, he expected to face the Democratic incumbent, [[Bruce Bennett]]. However, in the Democratic [[primary]] election, Joe Edward Purcell (1923-1987) of Benton in Saline County, unseated the [[Segregation|segregationist]]  Bennett, an attorney from El Dorado. During the campaign, both Thomasson and Purcell ran as reformers.<ref> ''Arkansas Outlook,'' August 1966.</ref>

Despite running on the Republican ticket with the successful gubernatorial candidate, Winthrop Rockefeller, Thomasson lost in the general election. Purcell received 287,983 votes (53.9 percent) to Thomasson's 246,133 (46.1 percent). Thomasson carried twelve of the state's seventy-five counties and received more than 60 percent of the ballots in Baxter, Benton, Searcy, Sebastian and Washington counties. He also won in Crawford County near [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], which Rockefeller lost. His strength was concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state. Indeed he lost his own Clark County in the race against Purcell.<ref>Billy Hathorn, ''The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982,'' [[Texas A&M University]] dissertation, pp. 271, 573.</ref>

Despite running on the Republican ticket with the successful gubernatorial candidate, Winthrop Rockefeller, Thomasson lost in the general election. Purcell received 287,983 votes (53.9 percent) to Thomasson's 246,133 (46.1 percent). Thomasson carried twelve of the state's seventy-five counties and received more than 60 percent of the ballots in Baxter, Benton, Searcy, Sebastian, and Washington counties. He also won in Crawford County near [[Fort Smith, Arkansas|Fort Smith]], which Rockefeller lost. His strength was concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state. Indeed he lost his own Clark County in the race against Purcell.<ref>Billy Hathorn, ''The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982,'' [[Texas A&M University]] dissertation, pp. 271, 573.</ref>

In 1968, Thomasson again challenged Purcell. He received 240,725 votes (41.4 percent) to Purcell's 341,233 (58.6 percent). Thomasson won nine counties, again all in northwestern Arkansas, three fewer than he had in 1966.<ref>"The Republican Party in Arkansas,'' p.  578.</ref> From 1968 to 1971, he was the director of planning for Region VI under Title XVI of the [[Social Security]] Act.<ref name=findagrave/> In 1971, [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] appointed Thomasson as an administrative law judge of the [[Social Security Administration]], a position that he retained until his retirement in 2000.<ref name=obit/>

In 1968, Thomasson again challenged Purcell. He received 240,725 votes (41.4 percent) to Purcell's 341,233 (58.6 percent). Thomasson won nine counties, again all in northwestern Arkansas, three fewer than he had in 1966.<ref>"The Republican Party in Arkansas,'' p.  578.</ref> From 1968 to 1971, he was the director of planning for Region VI under Title XVI of the [[Social Security]] Act.<ref name=findagrave/> In 1971, [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] appointed Thomasson as an administrative law judge of the [[Social Security Administration]], a position that he retained until his retirement in 2000.<ref name=obit/>