Robert Julius Thorne (February 23, 1875 – March 20, 1955) was an American businessman who was president of

Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...

from 1917 to 1920.

Life

Robert Thorne was born in February 1875 in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, to George R. Thorne. The senior Thorne was a former

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

who co-founded Montgomery Ward with his brother-in-law, A. Montgomery Ward."R.J. Thorne, 80, Son of Ward's Founder, Dies," ''Chicago Daily Tribune'', March 21, 1955. He received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1897. He was active in the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Robert Thorne joined Montgomery Ward's

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, branch immediately upon his graduation from Cornell. He rose to become branch manager, and then was transferred to Chicago where he was manager of the store's flagship store and a vice president of the company. In 1917, his older brother and Montgomery Ward president, William C. Thorne, died unexpectedly. Robert J. Thorne assumed the presidency of the company. Thorne married the former Katherine B. Sterrett. The couple had five daughters: Roberta, Katherine, Laura, Narcissa and Ellen Catherine. His mother-in-law, Catherine Dietrich Willey, died in the sinking of the luxury ocean liner ''Lusitania'' in 1915.

Employers' Association of Chicago

Thorne co-founded the Employers' Association of Chicago in 1902, and played a significant role in the

1905 Chicago Teamsters' strike Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

. He was accused in mid-1905 of bribing transport company owners to lock out their

union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

workers in order to force them to strike.

U.S. Army service

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Thorne served as a civilian in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. He joined the Army on January 1, 1918, as an unpaid volunteer. He was named an assistant to

George W. Goethals George Washington Goethals ( June 29, 1858 – January 21, 1928) was a United States Army General and civil engineer, best known for his administration and supervision of the construction and the opening of the Panama Canal. He was the State E ...

, Acting Quartermaster General of the Army. Thorne helped to radically reorganize the failing Army logistical and supply system. On March 8, 1918, Goethals named Thorne "Assistant to the Acting Quartermaster General," and issued an order to his troops that all orders from Thorne "will have the force and effect as if performed by the Acting Quartermaster General himself." Thorne left government service after the war ended. During his tenure with the U.S. Army, Thorne trained

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Robert E. Wood Robert Elkington Wood (June 13, 1879 – November 6, 1969) was an American military officer and business executive. After retiring from the U.S. Army as a brigadier general, Wood had a successful career as a corporate executive, most notabl ...

in logistics. Wood later became vice-president and then chairman of Sears, Roebuck and Company, one of Montgomery Ward's fiercest competitors. For his work in successfully restructuring the Army's supply system and measurably improving America's warfighting capacity during World War I, Thorne was awarded the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

in 1919. In 1918, Thorne built a 28-room mansion on a estate on Sheridan Road in

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...

. The estate, called White Oaks, became a major showcase home in the area. During the 1930s, Thorne became president of the board of trustees of Lake Forest Academy.

Retirement and death

Thorne retired from the presidency of Montgomery Ward in 1920 due to failing health. He and his wife traveled extensively for several years. In 1942, White Oaks was torn down and the Thornes moved to

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population was 24,697 at the ...

. In 1950, they moved to

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

. Thorne died there on March 20, 1955, after a lengthy illness. Katherine Thorne died in 1963.

Honors

The Robert Julius Thorne Chair in Political Economy in the Department of Economics at Cornell University is endowed in Thorne's name. A fund at the Delta Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at Cornell was endowed by Thorne, and also carries his name.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Robert J. 1875 births 1955 deaths American businesspeople in retailing 19th-century American businesspeople Cornell University alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Businesspeople from Chicago People from Lake Forest, Illinois People from Coronado, California Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Montgomery Ward People from La Jolla, San Diego Civilian recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers Military personnel from Chicago