Daniel Isaac J. Thornton (January 31, 1911 – January 18, 1976) was an American Republican politician who served as the 33rd governor of the state of Colorado from 1951 to 1955.

Biography

Daniel Isaac J. Thornton was born in Hall County, Texas, on January 31, 1911 and in 1929 he graduated from Lubbock High School in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

. He was active in 4-H and was elected President of the Texas 4-H clubs in 1927. Thornton attended (1929–30) Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) in Lubbock, attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1932 and received Honorary Doctor's Degrees from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado in 1951 and Texas Technological College in 1953. He married Jessie Willock, and they remained married until her death in 1972. In 1937, the Thorntons purchased a cattle ranch near

Springerville Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States, within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP Code is 85938. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,961. Springerville sits at an elevation of above sea level. A ...

in northeastern Arizona. In 1941, they moved their operation to a ranch in

Gunnison County Gunnison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,918. The county seat is Gunnison. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army ...

in southern Colorado. The Thorntons developed the Thornton Type, a strain of

Hereford cattle The Hereford is a British breed of beef cattle originally from Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England. It has spread to many countries – there are more than five million purebred Hereford cattle in over fifty nations worldwide. The bre ...

. In 1948, Thornton was elected to the Colorado State Senate, a position that he held for only two years before becoming governor.

Political career

In 1950, Thornton defeated incumbent Democratic Governor

Walter Walford Johnson Walter Walford Johnson (April 16, 1904 – March 23, 1987) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 32nd governor of the state of Colorado from 1950 to 1951. He was the first governor to have been born in the 20t ...

. Thornton was known for his

Stetson hat Stetson is a brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, in particular, in Scouting. John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous hats when he ...

, pipe, and cowboy boots. He served as governor for two then two-year terms. As governor, he was instrumental in developing the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. In 1952 he was one of five people on the short list for consideration of the Republican vice presidential nomination. Dwight D. Eisenhower, like Thornton Texas-born, instead chose Richard Nixon, a freshman

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from California. In 1956, Thornton was under discussion for a cabinet appointment. He was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Colorado that year, but was narrowly defeated by the Democrat

John A. Carroll John Albert Carroll (July 30, 1901 – August 31, 1983) was an American politician who served as a United States Democratic Party, Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator from Colorado. He also served as a special assi ...

Death and legacy

Dan Thornton died of a heart attack in

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

, California, on January 18, 1976, two weeks shy of his 65th birthday. Governor Thornton is the namesake of the City of Thornton outside Denver, Colorado. In 2008, he was listed among the "100 Most Influential People" from Lubbock, as part of the city centennial observation.

References

External links

The Governors of Colorado
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, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Daniel Isaac J. 1911 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American politicians Republican Party Colorado state senators Republican Party governors of Colorado People from Hall County, Texas People from Lubbock, Texas Ranchers from Colorado Texas Tech University alumni Thornton, Colorado University of California, Los Angeles alumni People from Springerville, Arizona

Biography

Political career

Death and legacy

See also

References

Further reading

External links