Robert Thom

This article is about the 20th century painter and historian. For the steam locomotive engineer, see Robert Absalom Thom. For the writer and director, see Robert Thom (writer). For the namesake of Loch Thom, see Robert Thom (engineer).

Robert Thom (March 4, 1915 in Grand Rapids, Michigan - December 31, 1979 in Alma, Michigan) was an American painter and historian who specialized in the portrayal of historical scenes. He is perhaps best known for his series of forty paintings depicting the history of pharmacy, and his series of forty-five paintings depicting the history of medicine; both series were commissioned by Parke-Davis.

A student of Robert Brackman, Thom began his career as a commercial illustrator for General Motors and Detroit Edison in 1939, and set off as an independent artist in 1945. In this role, he produced many series of commissioned paintings for clients such as Kimberly-Clark (scenes from the history of visual communication), Illinois Bell (scenes from the history of Illinois), Michigan Bell (scenes from the history of Michigan), and Chevrolet (scenes from the history of baseball).

Thom's works appear in galleries, museums, and universities worldwide, including the Baseball Hall of Fame and the White House.