House Concurrent Resolution 10

Oregon Laws 2007

Whereas Robert Y. Thornton was one of only two Oregonians to serve in all three branches of government; and

Whereas Robert Thornton was born in Portland in 1910, attended Stanford University and the University of Oregon, and earned his law degree from George Washington University; and

Whereas Robert Thornton met fellow student Dorothy Haberlach while attending the University of Oregon, and they were married in 1937; and

Whereas Robert Thornton served in the United States Army for five years during World War II and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; and

Whereas Robert Thornton was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1950; and

Whereas Robert Thornton served for 16 years as Oregon Attorney General and was the second longest-serving Attorney General in Oregon’s history; and

Whereas Robert Thornton, while serving as Attorney General, pioneered efforts to collect delinquent child support payments from parents, to eliminate racketeering of health insurance and to drive organized prostitution out of Oregon; and

Whereas Robert Thornton was particularly proud that as Attorney General he hired and promoted an unprecedented number of women and minorities to serve on his staff; and

Whereas Robert Thornton was elected to the Oregon Court of Appeals in 1970, serving until his retirement in 1983; and

Whereas Robert Thornton after his retirement continued to be active by advocating for inmate work programs and drafting legislation to require parenting classes for high school seniors; and

Whereas Robert Thornton spoke Japanese fluently, was the author of Preventing Crime in America And Japan and lectured at several Japanese universities; and

Whereas Robert Thornton, because of his contributions to Japanese-American understanding, received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan in 1976; and

Whereas Robert Thornton was thought of by his friends and colleagues as a kind and gentle man and a credit to the human race; and

Whereas we, the members of the Seventy-fourth Legislative Assembly, wish to recognize Robert Y. Thornton as a person who lived an exemplary life for 93 years and as one of Oregon’s most distinguished public servants of the 20th century, having held elective office from 1950 to 1983; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:

That we, the members of the Seventy-fourth Legislative Assembly, recognize, honor and express our state’s gratitude to Robert Y. Thornton for his contributions to Oregon history through his legal abilities, his longevity and his commitment; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution shall be presented to his son, Tom Thornton, as an expression of our esteem and appreciation.

Filed in the office of Secretary of State May 24, 2007

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