Robert L. Thornton

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For the English jockey, see Robert Thornton.

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Statue of Robert Lee Thornton
Hall of State, Dallas, TX

Robert Lee Thornton, Sr. (often just R. L. Thornton) (10 August 1880 – 15 February 1964) was a Dallas, Texas (USA) businessman, Klansman^[1] ^[2], philanthropist and mayor of the city.

Thornton grew up with some schooling, but spent many of his early years working - first as a cotton picker, then as a store clerk and later as a traveling salesman. In 1916, Thornton founded Stiles, Thornton and Lund, a banking company, called the Mercantile National Bank, serving as its president through 1947. In 1942, Thornton saw the completion of the bank's headquarters, the Mercantile Bank Building. By 1917, the company organized the Dallas County State Bank (once advertised as a "KKK Business Firm 100%") which became one of the national banks during the Great Depression.

Thornton quickly became a prominent businessman, being named to high positions with other local business in various industries, including insurance, railroads, steel, the local utility company and hotels. Thornton also raised cattle at a ranch he owned in Argyle, Texas.

Thornton was also a prominent figure in the community, serving as president of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce from 1933 to 1936 and serving as president of the State Fair of Texas from 1945 to 1960.

Beginning in the 1920's, R.L. Thornton was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, at a time when the Klan was a powerful force in Dallas politics.

From 1953 to 1961, Thornton served as mayor of Dallas, helping to promote the Forney Dam project on Lake Ray Hubbard, which still helps to supply the city of Dallas with its water needs and expanding Love Field, Dallas's only airport at the time. However, Thornton, like many previous leaders of Dallas, led the city as a sort of autocracy where it was the decisions of him and his fellow businessmen that led the city and not those of the citizenry or of the Dallas City Council. Despite this, Thornton apparently never abused his seemingly absolute power over the city of Dallas and his almost-benevolent administration helped to assuage any fears anyone might have had at the time. Thornton was considered one of the last of the "Dallas oligarchy" to lead the city, which received much negative publicity following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

After Thornton died in 1964, he was still well-remembered. Interstate 30 east of downtown (E R. L. Thornton Freeway) and Interstate 35E south of downtown (S R. L. Thornton Freeway) are named for him, as is the headquarters building of the Dallas County Community College District in downtown Dallas.

Thornton's grandson, Robert L. Thornton III, has also followed in his grandfather's footsteps as a city businessman and philanthropist. Most of R. L. Thornton's descendents live in Austin, including his great-grandson, Jerod.