Thomas Aquinas
) 1224- 3/7/1274)

Born to an aristocratic family living in Roccasecca, Italy, Thomas Aquinas joined the Dominican order while studying philosophy and theology at Naples. Later he pursued additional studies in Paris and Kِln, where he was exposed to Aristotelean thought by
Albert the Great and William of Moerbeke. During the rest of his life, he taught at Paris and Rome, writing millions of words on philosophical and theological issues and earning his reputation among the scholasticsas "the angelic doctor." Aquinas developed in massive detail a synthesis of Christianity and Aristotelian philosophy that became the official doctrine of Roman Catholic theology in 1879.De Ente et Essentia (On Being and Essence) includes a basic statement of Aquinas's metaphysical position. His literary activity stopped abruptly as the result of a religious experience a few months before his death.

Taken from:
http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/aqui.htm

Also see:

http://www.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/stthomas.htm http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/Aquinas
http://www.malaspina.com/site/person_120.asp
http://www.radicalacademy.com/aquinas1.htm#life

http://www.cin.org/saints/aquino.html