Edward P. Thomson *90

Edward Thomson, a former tenured professor of philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland, died peacefully Oct. 10, 2013. He was 55.

Born in Scotland, Thomson immigrated early in his life to Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., in 1980 and a master’s degree in 1983 from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1990, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton.

Thomson was a proponent of the Socratic method of dialectic learning. He wrote many articles and reviews on the philosophy of science and several books, including two volumes of Philosophy for Teens. He enjoyed teaching students of all ages.

After leaving Cleveland, he moved to New York City and became a founding faculty member of the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering on West 123rd Street in Manhattan. Founded in 2007, this is a public school with students from sixth through 12th grades. It is a partnership of the New York City Department of Education, the community, and Columbia University that serves “academically talented students interested in a rigorous and demanding program that prepares students for selective colleges.”

Thomson is survived by Robin, his wife of 33 years.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.