William Wheeler Thornton
Encyclopedia
William Wheeler Thornton (June 27, 1851 - January 31, 1932) was an Indiana
lawyer
, Attorney General
, judge
, and author. He was born in Logansport, Indiana
, to John Allen and Elizabeth B. Thomas Thornton, members of respectable farming families. After attending Smithson College, a Universalist educational center, William became interested in law, entering the University of Michigan
in 1875. He graduated in 1876 (LL.B). Upon returning to Logansport, Indiana, William Thornton worked in the law office of his uncle, Henry Clay Thornton, a prominent lawyer and father of Sir Henry Worth Thornton.
From 1879 to 1889, he alternated private practice with civic positions, including Crawfordsville, Indiana
city attorney and Deputy Attorney General of Indiana (1880-1883). From 1889 to 1893, William W. Thornton served as Librarian of the Indiana Supreme Court. After two more decades of private practice, William Thornton became judge of the Superior Court of Marion County, Indiana
(Nov. 20, 1914), serving until his death on January 31, 1932.
William W. Thornton also taught law at the Benjamin Harrison Law School, serving as Dean until his death. The school is now Indiana University School of Law- Indianapolis.
The citation continued to list writings on myriad topics: municipal and school law; railroad law; estates, gifts, and advancement law; and several biographies, including one for prominent lawyer and judge, Isaac Newton Blackford. Many of William W. Thornton’s writings are still read and studied today. The William Wheeler Thornton Papers are held at the Manuscript Division, Indiana Division, Indiana State Library .
At the time of William's death, he had a half-brother, John Lambert Thornton, who lived in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Emma Gay Shouf Thornton, and son, Raymond Allen Thornton. Raymond would later serve in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, rising to Lieutenant Colonel of the US Air Force.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and author. He was born in Logansport, Indiana
Logansport, Indiana
Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...
, to John Allen and Elizabeth B. Thomas Thornton, members of respectable farming families. After attending Smithson College, a Universalist educational center, William became interested in law, entering the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1875. He graduated in 1876 (LL.B). Upon returning to Logansport, Indiana, William Thornton worked in the law office of his uncle, Henry Clay Thornton, a prominent lawyer and father of Sir Henry Worth Thornton.
From 1879 to 1889, he alternated private practice with civic positions, including Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
city attorney and Deputy Attorney General of Indiana (1880-1883). From 1889 to 1893, William W. Thornton served as Librarian of the Indiana Supreme Court. After two more decades of private practice, William Thornton became judge of the Superior Court of Marion County, Indiana
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
(Nov. 20, 1914), serving until his death on January 31, 1932.
William W. Thornton also taught law at the Benjamin Harrison Law School, serving as Dean until his death. The school is now Indiana University School of Law- Indianapolis.
Publications
William Wheeler Thornton was one of the foremost authors on Indianan jurisprudence. In Indiana and Indianans: A History of Aboriginal and Territorial Indiana and the Century of Statehood, the author made the following claim:At one time it was claimed for Judge Thornton that he had written more articles for legal periodicals than any other one man in America or England except only two (pg. 1620)."
The citation continued to list writings on myriad topics: municipal and school law; railroad law; estates, gifts, and advancement law; and several biographies, including one for prominent lawyer and judge, Isaac Newton Blackford. Many of William W. Thornton’s writings are still read and studied today. The William Wheeler Thornton Papers are held at the Manuscript Division, Indiana Division, Indiana State Library .
Family
On January 25, 1882, William married Mary F. Groves, who died July 22, 1905. He then married Irene F. Blackledge on July 20, 1911. William was a nephew of prominent physician Dr. William Patton Thornton and educator Dr. Joseph L. Thornton.At the time of William's death, he had a half-brother, John Lambert Thornton, who lived in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Emma Gay Shouf Thornton, and son, Raymond Allen Thornton. Raymond would later serve in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, rising to Lieutenant Colonel of the US Air Force.