Lois Keener Thome (1897–1994)

Lois Keener Thome, who preferred not to reveal her exact birthdate, was a native of Illinois but a California resident for most of her life. She graduated from Pasadena High School in 1915 and the University of Southern California in about 1919, with a degree in sociology. She worked in the computing division of the Mt. Wilson Observatory from 1919 to 1924 on measurements and reductions for the Physical Laboratory, which specialized in laboratory spectroscopy to support astronomical work. She apparently also attended some classes at the California Institute of Technology at about the same time (but does not appear in its alumni directory, though there are a few other women in the early years). She lived in Corona, California from 1924 until her death in 1994. Although her later activities were primarily in civic, church, and women's organizations, she remained a member of the American Astronomical Society throughout her life.

(From information in Mt. Wilson Observatory Annual Reports and an obituary published in the Corona (California) Press-Enterprise.)