Tillman Thomas was born on June 13, 1947 in Hermitage, St. Patrick. He worked his way up from the classrooms of Tivoli Roman Catholic School to the hallowed halls of New York’s Fordham University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He later attended the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus and the Hugh Wooding Law School where he completed a LL.B. and a Certificate of Legal Education respectively.

Upon his return to Grenada in 1978, Tillman Thomas began his political career when he became involved in the Human Rights and Legal Aid Programme along with then leader of the New Jewel Movement, Maurice Bishop. This programme provided legal support services to needy citizens. On July 11, 1981 Tillman Thomas was imprisoned for his part in the publication of the Grenadian Voice Newspaper, a newspaper that was seen by the Maurice Bishop led Peoples Revolutionary Government (PRG) as “counter-revolutionary”. He was released from prison when US-led forces intervened in Grenada in 1983.

Following the events of October 1983, when democracy was restored to the island, Mr. Thomas joined the Grenada Democratic Movement (GDM). The GDM became one of the four parties to merge in 1984, forming the New National Party (NNP) which governed Grenada from 1984 to 1990. He won the St. Patrick East constituency in the 1984 election and was appointed as a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

In 1987 he left the NNP and became a founding member of the NDC, and from 1987 to 1990 he was the party’s Assistant General Secretary. Tillman Thomas was re-elected in the St. Patrick’s East constituency on November 27th, 2003 and became Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. Five years later, as a result of the July 8th, 2008 General Elections, he became Grenada’s 8th Prime Minister since Independence.