San Francisco County
Biographies
THOMAS A.
WARREN
Thomas A. Warren, who is favorably known in San Francisco as the founder and head of the Warren Detective Agency at 377 Mills building, is a native of New York city, where his birth occurred December 16, 1880.
Mr. Warren’s first intention in life was to become a physician, and after he had completed his public school studies he entered Johns Hopkins Medical College for the purpose of preparing himself for practice. However, he did not complete his course, his immediate diversion of action having been the Spanish-American war, his services therein being noted in a later paragraph. After the close of hostilities, he returned to New York city, and for three years served on the police force of that metropolis. In 1907, he came to San Mateo, California, and there was a member of the police force for a period of five years. In the year 1922, he entered the United States internal revenue department, in the prohibition enforcement division, and for three years he was very active in this work in San Francisco, having made forty-seven hundred arrests in the city during these months, which resulted in ninety-eight per cent convictions. Following his ambition of long standing, he established his detective business in 1925, and has enjoyed marked success in its operation since that date. His offices are in the Mills building, and he has associated with himself a force of skilled investigators. He specializes in civil and criminal investigations and in expert dictagraph service. He has perfected an amplifier for the dictagraph which will operate as a loud-speaker. This has proved very valuable in his business. Within the comparatively short time Mr. Warren has operated his own organization in San Francisco, he has conducted numerous cases of prime importance, and his services have been uniformly satisfactory to his patrons.
Mr. Warren is a veteran of the Spanish-American war, also of the Philippine insurrection. After the United States had declared war against Spain, he became a sergeant, first-class, in the medical corps, in which branch of the service he went to the front. He participated in a number of engagements and skirmishes, and was wounded during one of these actions.
Radio has for many years been a favorite subject of interest to Mr. Warren. He was inspired with its possibilities when it was first used and became practical. In White Plains, New York, he built a number of four-tube-sets, and later he constructed a larger one of five tubes with which he succeeded in connecting with London, England. He has continued his experiments with radio, and now has both his automobile and motor boat equipped with receiving apparatus. Motor boating is a hobby in which he finds great pleasure. He owns a summer house in Lake county, California, and upon the waters of this vicinity he operates his craft.
Mr. Warren is the father of a daughter, Margaret Warren, who is a graduate of Jefferson high school in San Mateo county. He has given close attention to civic affairs of his home city, and has lent his cooperation to whatever local movements he has considered of merit. Professionally, he has observed the ethics of his work in every manner, and holds the respect of his contemporaries. Investigating requires certain talents for success, combined with courage of the higher order, and in his efforts in San Francisco, Mr. Warren has manifested these attributes most obviously.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 282-284.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S SAN
FRANCISCO BIOGRAPIES