Thomas Rollins Chambers, Jr., was the son of Margaret Lee Smith Chambers (1913 - 2001) and Thomas R. Chambers Sr., who was the son of Mary Hamilton Chambers. Tom had a younger brother, Timothy (1952 -1998), a meteorological technician. Tom was a life-long Fallston, Harford County resident. He graduated from Bel Air High School and Harford Community College in 1964. After attending Towson State College, he worked in the William H. Welch Medical Library of the Johns Hopkins University before he began his writing career. Tom was a spectator at many local sporting events including football, soccer and softball, and personally enjoyed golf, the ocean, and cross-country skiing.

He published three poetry books: two that he authored, The Poetry of Love (1972) and Going Home to My Girl (1973). In the case of the third, he was an editor and author, Signals, an Anthology of Poems from the Radio Series Harford Poetry Society Presents. He attended writing workshops in the Johns Hopkins University Evening College where he became a staff member of the literary journal Nocturne. Also, he served for several years as the Editor of the Maryland State Poetry Society Newsletter, Maryland Musings, and President of the Harford Poetry Society. Some of his work has been published in the Maryland Poetry Review.

Jean E. Keenan, President of the Harford Poetry and Literary Society, said after Tom's death, "For more than 30 years, Tom Chambers has been a mainstay of the Harford Poetry and Literary Society. The Harford Poet, first published in 1977 by the society, was created, edited and distributed to the Harford County libraries and other locations by Tom. He found places for us to hold our readings, took care of our extensive poetry collection and provided on-going publicity about our activities. Tom has shared his poetry and himself. He gave our members and other writers an open forum to present their works and their literary knowledge." (Keenan, J.E., On Tom Chambers, Harford Loses a Literary Voice, The Aegis, Bel Air, MD, January 27, 2006, page A10.)

Tom volunteered at The Historical Society of Harford County for about two days a week for 20 years. He was very helpful to researchers, especially with the old newspapers collection. In addition, he knew the content of most of the books in the library. Tom also wrote:

• A compilation of data on Rev. John Allen, early educator and abolitionist, and his wife, Brasseya, the first County published poet.
• Harford County Newspapers of the 19th Century, Harford Historical Bulletin
  • Harford's Rich Newspaper Heritage
  • The Travail of Early Newspapers in Harford County
  • Political Parties, Their Newspapers, and their Battling Editors
  • Political Upheaval Brings Upheaval to Harford County Newspaper Publishing

Tom, who was 61, died very suddenly, on January 19, 2006, with a heart attack at his family home in Fallston where he lived alone. When he did not show up at the Historical Society at his usual time, Jean Sherman notified authorities. Probably, had it not been for her concern, his body may have remained undiscovered for weeks.

The following is one of Tom's many poems from the book above: Signals . . .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I owe many thanks to Susan Lesser of the The Harford Poetry and Literary Society for access to their library, providing photographs of Tom, and other assistance. Also, I owe thanks to Doris Barben of Genealogy, Mary Henderson of the Library, and the Archives Staff of the Historical Society of Harford County.