Born in Ontario, Canada, and educated at the University of Toronto and University of Chicago, David Thomson spent his academic career at the University of Washington serving in many capacities. Originally a Latin professor in 1902, he later became the dean of the college of Liberal Arts in 1917 and continued in that capacity until 1931, except for the two years in 1926 and 1927 in which he served as the acting president of the university. From 1931 until his retirement, he was the Vice President of the university. Thomson was serving as acting President of the university when this 1927 photograph of him and Horace C. Henry, president of The National Bank of Commerce, was taken on what appears to be a construction site, likely on the campus.

Handwritten on image: Thompson [sic] Dean, Henry HC. Caption information source: University of Washington Libraries, University History. Date photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (date of photograph and file date may differ by a month or more): February 17, 1927.

• Subjects (LCTGM): College presidents--Washington (State)--Seattle; Bankers--Washington (State)--Seattle
• People: Thomson, David; Henry, H.C.