Cy Thomson

Who is Cy Thomson?

Ransom J. "Cy" Thomson is best known as the man who, between the years of 1911 and 1921, embezzled over $1,000,000 from Hormel Foods in Austin, Minnesota.

In his autobiography he wrote of his status in the community prior to the uncovering of the embezzlement.

"Once my story was written up in magazines as a story of success. It told of a farm boy who came to the city, and by industry and honesty had carved his way to a position of trust and integrity. It told of the leader in the community, the teacher in the Sunday school, of the man who was consulted in every business enterprise. It told of the man who was welcome guest of industrial executives of the state. Governors and high officials were glad to sit at my table."

Thomson was first employed at the Hormel Packing Plant as a scaler in the fresh meat department at $12 per week. In the spring of 1907 he asked Mr. George Hormel for a more responsible job. Hormel suggested that he get training in bookkeeping and accounting. He took a course at Mankato and was reemployed with Hormel. Two years later he was promoted to the position of cashier.