Robert L. Thornton

Robert Lee Thornton, Sr. (often just R. L. Thornton) (10 August 1880 – 15 February 1964) was an American businessman,[1][2] philanthropist, and Mayor of Dallas. Thornton was also a prominent member of the Ku Klux Klan.[3][4][5]

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


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 [6] 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 was also a prominent figure in the community, serving as president of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce from 1933 to 1936, President of the Rotary Club of Dallas 1915-1916 and serving as president of the State Fair of Texas from 1945 to 1960. As president of the State Fair of Texas, he restricted access to black people.[7]

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.

Thornton died in 1964. Various roads and places in Dallas are named for him, including: Interstate 30 east of downtown (E R. L. Thornton Freeway), Interstate 35E south of downtown (S R. L. Thornton Freeway), and 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.

References
  1. Texas Labor History
  2. Peep-hole power, page 1 - News - Dallas Observer - Dallas Observer
  3. Tomlinson, Chris (2014). Tomlinson Hill. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 207. ISBN 978-1-250-00547-2. robert l thornton klan.
  4. Martinez, MaryAnn (2017-08-14). "New Effort To Change Name Of Freeway Named For KKK Member". Dallas (CBS 11). Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  5. Stone, Rachel (2017-02-28). "Backstory: When the KKK paraded in Oak Cliff". Advocate Oak Cliff. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  6. Michael Phillips. White Metropolis: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion in Dallas, 1841-2001. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2005. pp. 85.
  7. "Early Influencers: Robert Lee 'R.L.' Thornton". D Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
Political offices
Preceded by
Jean Baptiste Adoue		 Mayor of Dallas
1953–1961		 Succeeded by
Earle Cabell
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