Thomas Patrick Thornton
| Thomas Patrick Thornton | |
|---|---|
Judge Thomas P. Thornton
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan | |
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In office 1949–1985 |
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| Appointed by | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Ernest Aloysius O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Damon Keith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 8, 1898 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | July 1, 1985 (aged 87) Detroit, Michigan |
| Resting place | Mount Olivet Cemetery (Detroit) |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Beaudin Thornton Rose Garland Thornton |
| Parents | Patrick Thornton Sarah O'Maley |
| Alma mater | University of Detroit School of Law |
Thomas Patrick Thornton (March 8, 1898 – July 1, 1985) was a United States federal judge.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, Thornton received an LL.B. from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1926. He was in private practice in Detroit, Michigan from 1926 to 1937. He was an assistant U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan from 1937 to 1944. He was a Chief assistant U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan from 1944 to 1947. He was the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1947 to 1949.
Thornton was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Thornton was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on January 13, 1949, to a seat vacated by Ernest Aloysius O'Brien. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 1949, and received his commission on February 2, 1949. Thornton assumed senior status on February 15, 1966, serving as Senior Judge until he died on July 1, 1985. On July 3, 1985 federal courts in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, and Bay City, Michigan were closed in honor of Judge Thornton.
Thornton served as a fireman in the U.S. 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.
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