Ian Thomas has been making hits for more than 40 years, and now he is sharing the personal archives that document the many stages of his continuing career as an iconic Canadian musician and songwriter.

Thomas is donating his archives to the McMaster University Library, where they will become part of the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections.

His donation is to be celebrated in a special ceremony for invited guests tonight (May 7) in Convocation Hall, where several musical performances will pay tribute to Thomas’s music, under the direction of Darcy Hepner.

“I am delighted that McMaster is getting my archives,” Thomas says. “My family has a serious connection to that university and campus.”

The Thomas collection fills several boxes, includes personal writings, hand-written sheet music, photos, clippings, contracts, notebooks and other documents.

The materials date back to Thomas’s childhood in Dundas, Ontario, and run through his career as a working musician, including his time with Tranquility Base — the Pop-Group in Residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra — through his Juno-winning solo work and more recent projects including The Boomers and Lunch at Allen’s.

“Ian Thomas is remarkable for the depth of his creativity and success, here at home and abroad. To have reached and sustained such a level while maintaining his commitment to the public good makes him all the more admirable,” says McMaster’s provost and vice-president, academic, David Wilkinson. “We are grateful to receive the gift of his archives.”

Thomas’s first international hit came in 1973 with Painted Ladies. Over the years he has earned a Juno award, four SOCAN classic awards (for Painted Ladies, Right Before Your Eyes, Hold On and Pilot), a UNICEF Danny Kaye Humanitarian award, and Juno and Gemini nominations.

His songs have found international success with artists such as Santana, America, Manfred Mann, Chicago, Bette Midler and Anne Murray. Thomas is also the author of two published novels.

“We are honored that Ian Thomas has chosen McMaster as the permanent home for his archives. It’s a substantial collection that will serve researchers across several disciplines,” says McMaster’s University Librarian Vivian Lewis. “His gift is particularly meaningful, considering his family’s longstanding affiliation with the university.”

Thomas is the brother of actor and comedian Dave Thomas, who received an honorary doctorate from McMaster in 2009. Their late father John Thomas was a pioneer of health care ethics in Canada, a highly regarded professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of medicine at McMaster.

Last year, musician Bruce Cockburn donated his archives to McMaster. The university’s archives also include personal collections from such notable thinkers and artists as philosopher Bertrand Russell, authors Pierre Berton, Margaret Laurence and Farley Mowat.