Williston Thomas was born in Burma in 1855 and graduated from Brown University. He sailed as a missionary to Burma in 1880 and served for 45 years. In May 1880, after graduating from the Wakefield High School in Massachusetts and teaching for several years in the public schools, Emma Upham sailed for Burma, designated to work in Toungoo. Two years later she was married to Willis, then at the Karen Mission, Henzada. Together they labored among the Chins at Sandoway for a full term. In 1893, they moved to Rangoon and soon after to Insein where Dr. Thomas supervised Burmese work both in the seminary and in the surrounding area. Later he served as president of the Karen seminary. In 1921, they were appointed general evangelists for all Burma, this work being materially aided by Dr. Thomas’ fluency in the Karen, Burmese and Chin languages.