Born in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Thomas Wharton received his B.S. from Harvard University in 1920, followed by his B.Arch from the University of Pennsylvania in 1923. He worked for
Stewardson & Page for three months and for
Robert Rodes McGoodwin for nine months. Citations for Wharton's independent work begin to appear in the
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders Guide in the 1930s, and he is listed in the 1929 Philadelphia city directory as an architect with an office at 1713 Sansom Street.