Thomas was the first woman to serve as White House bureau chief and to be elected president of the White House Correspondents Association. She worked tirelessly throughout the 1960s to open the National Press Club to women and, once it did, became the club's first female officer.
Thomas is known for her direct and hard-hitting questions at presidential press conferences and enjoys enormous respect from politicians and colleagues alike. She was the only print journalist to travel with President Nixon on his historic trip to China in 1972.
Thomas has written two books, including a memoir published in 1999. She has received dozens of awards and continues to actively travel worldwide to cover American presidents. In July 2000, Thomas joined Hearst Newspapers as a bi-weekly columnist writing on national issues.