74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
 
 
                            Enrolled
 
                 House Concurrent Resolution 10
 
Sponsored by Representative BERGER, Senator WINTERS;
  Representatives BRUUN, BUTLER, ESQUIVEL, JENSON, OLSON, READ,
  WITT
 
 
  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:
 
 
 
 
Enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 10 (HCR 10-INTRO)     Page 1
 
 
 
  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.
                         ----------
 
 
 
                                 Adopted by House April 5, 2007
 
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                                      Chief Clerk of House
 
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                                        Speaker of House
 
 
                                  Adopted by Senate May 7, 2007
 
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                                       President of Senate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 10 (HCR 10-INTRO)     Page 2