Thomas Patrick Thornton

For the English academic administrator, see Thomas Thornton .

Thomas Patrick Thornton (March 8, 1898 – July 1, 1985) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan .

Contents

• 1 Education

• 2 Career

• 3 Federal judicial service

  • 3.1 Judicial demeanor

• 4 The Incorporated Society of Irish-American Lawyers

• 5 Personal life

• 6 References

• 7 External links

• 8 Sources

Education

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Thomas Thornton was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Detroit

Thornton served as a fireman in the United States Navy during World War I. He entered Tufts University in 1919 and so distinguished himself as a fullback on the football team that he was recruited by Fordham University the following year. A year later he was recruited by Syracuse University , and in 1922 he moved west to the University of Detroit to play fullback and quarterback for the Titans. In 1924 he was considered the University of Detroit's finest all time running back . His 1924 team out-scored its opponents by 140 points to 38 points, competing against schools such as Army, Michigan State, Fordham, Boston College, and Tulane.

His tenacity and aggressiveness on the football field earned him the nickname of "Tiger". He also excelled as a swimmer and diver, working summers as a lifeguard at the Belle Isle Bath House. In 1981 he was inducted into the University of Detroit Sports Hall of Fame.

"Tiger" Thornton graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1926 with a Bachelor of Laws . He was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Detroit Mercy on May 21, 1977.

Career

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Thomas Thornton when he served as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan (1947–1949)

After earning his law degree at the University of Detroit in 1926, Thornton spent the summer on Mackinac Island teaching swimming. On returning to Detroit he entered private practice with Tom "Tucker" Kennedy in the Donovan Building, and later partnered with Ed Herlehy in establishing the law firm of Herlehy & Thornton located in Detroit's Hammond Building .

In 1937, on the recommendation of United States Senator Prentiss M. Brown , Thornton was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. He served as Assistant United States Attorney from 1937 to 1944, and served as Chief Assistant to United States Attorney John C. Lehr from 1944 to 1947. Upon Lehr's retirement in 1947, and on the recommendation of United States Attorney General Tom C. Clark , Thornton was appointed the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Federal judicial service

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Appointment of Thomas P. Thornton by the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on December 7, 1937.

Thornton was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on January 13, 1949, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by Judge Ernest Aloysius O'Brien . He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 1949, and received his commission on February 2, 1949. Chief Judge Arthur F. Lederle delivered the oath of office on February 15, 1949. Thornton assumed senior status on February 15, 1966, serving in that status until his death on July 1, 1985. On July 3, 1985, federal courts in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, and Bay City, Michigan were closed in honor of Thornton.

Judicial demeanor

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Thornton was known for his directness, and also for his humor on the bench. Before appointing trustees to manage the bankrupt F.L. Jacobs Company he minced no words in describing the company's prior operations as a "cesspool of violations." On a lighter note when a defendant once said "the Lord told me what to do" Judge Thornton turned to the prosecutor and asked, "Are you sure that you have indicted the right defendant?"

His dedication to his work was recognized in the Congressional Record by Senator Robert P. Griffin in 1975. Senator Griffin noted that Federal judges could retire with full pay at age 70, going on to say about Thornton: "Seven years ago he turned 70 - but rather than take a well deserved retirement, he choose to be a senior judge - and to go on trying cases." Thornton continued trying cases for another 10 years afte

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