Thomas E. Zych was born on January 24, 1940. He was educated at St. Mary's High School in St. Louis and attended
Southeast Missouri State University. He graduated from
Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in secondary education. In 1974, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives from District 100. The others involved in the legal case included Sorkis Webbe Jr., an alderman in the 7th Ward; Sorkis Webbe Sr., a powerful St. Louis politician;
LeRoy Tyus, a politician and democratic committee leader; James D. Cullen, Jr. a lawyer; and Eugene P. Slay, a businessman. Zych died on November 11, 2023, at the age of 83. ==References==