| Américo Tomás | |
 Américo Tomás by Henrique Medina |
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| In office August 9, 1958 – April 25, 1974 |
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| Prime Minister | António de Oliveira Salazar Marcello Caetano |
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| Preceded by | Francisco Craveiro Lopes |
| Succeeded by | National Salvation Junta António de Spínola |
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Minister for the Navy
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| In office September 6, 1944 – August 14, 1958 |
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| Prime Minister | António de Oliveira Salazar |
| Preceded by | Mesquita Guimarães |
| Succeeded by | Mendonça Dias |
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| Born | November 19, 1894 Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 18 September 1987 (aged 92) Cascais, Portuguese Republic |
| Political party | National Union (later renamed People's National Action) |
| Spouse(s) | Gertrudes Ribeiro da Costa, Mrs. Thomaz |
| Children | Maria Natália and Maria Madalena |
| Occupation | Naval officer (Rear Admiral) |
Américo de Deus Rodrigues Tomás, GCC, GOA, GOSE (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈmɛɾiku dɨ ˈdeuʃ ʁuˈdɾiɡɨʃ tuˈmaʃ]), also spelled Américo Thomaz (Lisbon, November 19, 1894 - Cascais, September 18, 1987) was a Portuguese admiral and politician. He was the son of António Rodrigues Tomás (b. Ferreira do Zêzere, ca. 1870) and his wife was (m. Lisbon, Alcântara) Maria da Assunção Marques (b. Lisbon, Alcântara, ca. 1874).
Background
In October 1922, Tomás married Gertrudes Ribeiro da Costa (Lisbon, February 23, 1894 - May 25, 1991), daughter of António José da Costa and wife Adelaide do Carmo Ribeiro, by whom he had two daughters: Maria Natália Rodrigues Tomás, unmarried and without issue, and Maria Madalena Rodrigues Tomás, married to writer and historian Antero de Figueiredo, and had issue.
Career
Tomás became minister of Navy in 1944. He was elected president of the Portuguese Republic in 1958, and re-elected in 1965 and 1972. During this time, Portugal was ruled by the authoritarian regime of António de Oliveira Salazar and the president of the republic had only a figurative role. The pompous style with which he was referred to by the compliant state media (The Most Excellent Lord, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Rear-Admiral Américo de Deus Thomaz), as contrasted by the virtual powerlessness of his office under Salazar, made him a target of frequent jokes. Just once Tomás used his presidential prerogative: to dismiss Salazar when he became incapacitated by a severe stroke in September, 1968. Tomás appointed Marcello Caetano to replace Salazar as prime minister. He took a much more active role in the government after Caetano took power, and became the rallying point for hard-liners who thought that even Caetano's cosmetic reforms went too far.
Overthrow and death
When in April 25, 1974, the "Carnation Revolution" deposed Caetano, Tomás was also overthrown and sent to exile in Brazil until 1980, when he returned to Portugal.
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| Preceded by Francisco Craveiro Lopes |
President of Portugal 1958-1974 |
Succeeded by António de Spínola (first, as President of the National Salvation Junta, then President of Portugal) |
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