William Holland Thomas (February 5, 1805 – May 10, 1893), was adopted by a chief of the Cherokee Nation-East. He was named by Yonaguska as his successor, and Thomas became Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, formed after Indian Removal of the late 1830s. He was the only European-American man ever to be named as a chief of the Cherokee. He was later elected as North Carolina state senator, serving from 1848–1860. As a youth, he worked at the trading post at Qualla Town, where he learned the Cherokee language and befriended some of the people. Chief Yonaguska adopted him into the tribe, and guided his learning about the Cherokee ways. Yonaguska named Thomas as his successor.