JESSE EARL THORNTON, A.M. '20, 
l'21-'22, g'21-'22, '24-'26, has been on 
the University faculty since 1914, and
 is now serving as Professor of English.


Born at Sherwood, Michigan June 2,
 1886, he was educated at Sherwood 
and Coldwater before going on to
 Albion College, where he received an
 A.B. degree in 1908. The following
 year he taught physics and chemistry
 
at Bemidji, Minnesota, and then from
 1909 to 1911 he was Head of the Eng
lish Department at the State Normal
 School, Albion, Idaho. After leaving 
there, and until Thornton came to the
 University of Michigan faculty, he 
served as Assistant Professor of Eng
lish at the State College of Washing
ton, Pullman, Washington.

He began 
his career at the University as an 
Instructor in Engineering English, and
 in 1920 was made Assistant Professor. 
 He became an Associate in 1930, and
 was advanced to Professor ten years 
later.

Professor Thornton is a mem
ber of the Society for the Promotion
 of Engineering Education, and his
 "Science and Social Change", a com
pilation, has been published by 
Brookings Institute. Mr. Thornton's
 family is one hundred percent Michi
gan alumni—his wife is the former
 Nellie Thomas, '25, now employed in
 Graduate Reading Room No. 1 at the
 General Library. Professor Thorn
ton enjoys farming as a hobby, and 
he owns a farm near Coldwater. He 
has two daughters, Frances, '34, and 
Ona Jane '33-36; and a son, Captain
 Joseph, '35c, M.S.'36, who has been
 in India.