A child of the Depression, Doctor Tom has lived through the want of that time, the corruption of the Long legacy, and the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement. His attention was never on these things, though, but on devotion to his gods. Raised by a family which had been faithful to the old gods since before they came over from West Africa, his talents were noted early on and he was raised to be a servant of the loa. However, the state of the world around him has not spared him its mark. He's suffered the indignities of poverty and racism enough that his opinion of his fellow man is decidedly cynical, causing him to turn even more fully to the more perfect beings he communes with.
It was during the late 60s that he acquired another purpose. It was at this time that he was approached by Rose-Marie and told of the forces attempting to control and manipulate voodoo for their own ends. Terrified for her own existence during the height of the war with the Brujah and unable to turn to Marie or the other Setites, she was forced into Doctor Tom's arms and he listened intently to all she had to say. From these days forward, Doctor Tom has taken it upon himself to fight the Setite influence in voodoo and purge it of the serpents in its midst.
Thomas is a crotchety old man, prone to speaking his mind and unrepentantly surly and cynical. However, beneath it all, he is a man of genuine faith who gets great joy from serving the loa. He places absolute trust in his gods and, were it not for the protection of Samedi, it would be a genuine weak point for him.
Thomas has many allies among those who follow voodoo, but has little love for the undead who adhere to its tenets, with the exception of the Samedi, whom he is properly respectful of for their attention to the dead and devotion to their duties. He is openly hostile to Marie and her brood and seeks to remove their influence from the city completely (or at least from among the faith).
Despite her condition, he is still fond of Rose-Marie and does his best to guide and counsel her, wary at all times that she could easily lead the other Setites back to him (or merely draw their attention through her visits). He is willing to risk continued contact, though, mostly because of the information she provides.
Doctor Tom has significant sway among the voodoo practitioners of the city, even most of those under Marie's sway. While this influence is of limited usefulness among many, a good portion of the natives of the city, particularly those of the lower classes, still fear and respect voodoo and recognize a man with power as being one not to be trifled with.