Texan Stephen Seymour Thomas became a known artist early in life, entering the Art Students League in New York at age sixteen and enrolling in the Academie Julian in Paris at age twenty. At age twenty-four, he found himself listed in Who's Who, and was known mostly for his portraits. He moved to La Crescenta, California at age 47.

While living in La Crescenta, Stephen befriended a newcomer to his neighborhood, a recent graduate of the Chicago Art Institute named Joshua Meador who had been hired by Walt Disney. Steven introduced the young artist community in the Los Angeles area.

Stephen continued doing portraits the rest of his life, including the portrait of President Woodrow Wilson which hangs in the White House. In California, he produced many watercolors of California coastal scenes. He spent 1936 to 1938 in Hawaii, and was in great demand there for his portraits.

Sources: S. Seymour Thomas 1868 - 1956 A Texas Genius Rediscovered, by Cecilia Steinfeldt; AskArt; Artists in California 1786 - 1940, Edan Milton Hughes, 3d ed.; TheHandbookOfTexasOnline