Dan Thornton

Daniel Isaac "Dan" Thornton (born January 31, 1911 in Hall County , Texas , † January 19, 1976 in Carmel-by-the-Sea , California ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1951 to 1955 the 32nd Governor of the State of Colorado .

Early years

Daniel Thornton attended Texas Technological College and then the University of California . In California, he applied to Warner Studios and even signed a three-year contract as an actor. But since he soon realized that there was no future for him in this area, he turned to cattle breeding. In Springerville ( Arizona ) he bought a ranch on which he Hereford cattle bred. He gained a good reputation as a cattle breeder. In 1941 he moved his ranching business to Gunnison , Colorado.

Political career

Thornton was a member of the Republican Party. He was a member of the Colorado Senate from 1948 to 1950 . On November 7, 1950 he was elected the new governor of his state, where he could beat the Democratic incumbent Walter Walford Johnson . After re-election in 1952, he could remain in office until January 11, 1955. A mineral oil tax was introduced during his tenure. He developed a pardon program with the aim of rehabilitation. The state schools were better funded. Precautions were taken against livestock diseases. The governor expanded civil defense and supported mining in his state. The motorway administration was reorganized and new motorway routes were planned and tackled. Governor Thornton was promoting Colorado outside of his state.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Thornton ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Colorado Senate in 1956. Then he withdrew from politics. He went back to his ranching in Gunnison. Dan Thornton died in January 1976. He was married to Jessie Willock.

Web links

• Dan Thornton in the National Governor Association (English)
• Biography at the Colorado State Archives (English, PDF; 89 kB)