Vernon W. Thomson
A former member of Congress from Wisconsin (1961-75), Mr. Thomson was one of the original Commissioners of the FEC, serving between 1975 and 1979. He was Chairman of the Commission between 1976 and 1977. Before his election to Congress in 1960, Mr. Thomson served as Governor of Wisconsin (1957-59). He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 16 years, serving three consecutive terms as Speaker. In addition, he served three terms as Attorney General of Wisconsin and was elected Assistant District Attorney of Richland County and City Attorney and Mayor of Richland Center. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.