Lee Arden Thomas

Lee Arden Thomas
Born	February 27, 1886 Germantown, Nebraska
Died	1953
Alma mater	Oregon State University
Occupation	Architect

Lee Arden Thomas (1886–1953) was an architect in Bend and Portland, Oregon, United States. He graduated in 1907 from Oregon State University, known then as Oregon Agricultural College. He completed many projects in Bend, often partnering with local architect Hugh Thompson. His work in that area includes the planning for Bend Amateur Athletic Club Gymnasium (1917–1918), Redmond Union High School, and the Washington School in Corvallis (now known as the Benton Center).

Thomas was an architect in Bend during the "teens" and has been described as "perhaps the most notable" of Deschutes County architects of the first half of the 20th Century along with Hugh Thompson. His work in the area includes the Lew Franks Building, St. Francis Catholic Church, St. Charles Hospital, First Methodist Church, Bend Amateur Athletic Club and the new Central School. Thomas and Thompson "became a powerful architectural force" as partners and designed the O. C. Henkle Building (where Claypool Furniture was later located) Kenwood School, the Central Oregon Bank (later home to Wells Fargo Bank) and the Vandevert & Whitington Garage (better known as Eddie's Garage).

In Portland, Thomas helped design the Weatherly Building with Sutton & Whitney and partnered with Albert Mercier on the adjacent Oriental Theatre (1927), as well as several other theaters. He also designed the Memorial Union (MU) at Oregon State University.

Thomas was also a member of the Oregon Board of Architect Examiners and the group's treasurer.

In Bend, Oregon, Thomas worked with local architect Hugh Thompson. Thomas designed the Bend Amateur Athletic Club (1918) and Old Bend High School (1925). Both use lava rock as foundation material laid out as uncut rubble.

Lee Thomas designed Redmond Union High School, "the largest and most impressive structure in all of Redmond". The $100,000 building was construtcted by "famed Central Oregon contactors, Olson & Erickson" using about 400,000 bricks from the Bend brick yard and "served a district of over 500 square miles." A gymnasium was added by Freeman & Hayslip of Portland in 1944 "under the supervision of A.W. Manchester of Julius Johnson Construction, the gym was completed in January 1945."

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