Thomas Ferguson was born on 23 May 1900 , son of Alexander Gray Ferguson and Agnes Ferguson. He married Annie Elizabeth Webster in 1927. He attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, graduated MB ChB in 1922, DPH in 1923, and MD (Commended) in 1924.
He was appointed to the Henry Mechan Chair of Public Health at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, from 1933-1964. In addition to being Professor of Public Health at the University of Glasgow, he also held the following positions at various points in his career: HM Medical Inspector of Factories; Department Chief Medical Officer; Department of Health, Scotland; Member of the MRC Committee on Social Medicine and Chairman of Committee on Carcenogenic Action of Mineral Oils; Chairman of the General Nursing Council, Scotland; Honorary Consultant Physician at Glasgow Western Infirmary and Falkirk Royal Infirmary. His publications include: The Dawn of Scottish Social Welfare, (1948) ;A Scottish Experiment in the Employment of Severely Disabled Men, (1948) ; The Young Wage Earner, (1951); The Young Delinquent in his Social Setting, (1952) ; Hospital and Community, (1954-1966) ; Scottish Social Welfare, 1864-1914, (1958); Handicapped Youth, (1960) ; Children in Care and After, (1966). He died in 1977 on the Isle of Man. Having been President of the football section of the University Athletics Club he knew the importance of social activities and bequeathed his estate to the University in 1977, with the instruction that the money be used to foster the social side of University life.