J R Lloyd Thomas

John Roland Lloyd Thomas (1908–1984) was educated at King’s College, Taunton, England. He went on to graduate in History from St David’s College, Lampeter, Wales and then in Theology from Jesus College, Oxford, England. He was ordained as an Anglican priest to the Llandaff diocese in Cardiff, Wales 1932, and served in Cardiff , Newport and Monmouth, as well as with the R.A.Ch. D. during the Second World War, seeing overseas service with the First Army in Tunisia and the Fifth Army in Italy. He was elected Principal of St. David’s College, Lampeter in 1953 – the first graduate of the College to hold this role – and led it into membership of the University of Wales, saving it from almost certain bankruptcy. He retired in 1975.