William E. Thornton Papers, PC.2054

U.S. Air Force Test Projects:

This series contains papers, photographs, and motion picture film relating to Dr. Thornton's first term of service with the United States Air Force. Dr. Thornton helped develop the Radar Optical Firing Error Indicator (ROFEI) system to aid in training fighter pilots in air-to-air missile combat. Materials in this series include papers and schematics showing the progression of the ROFEI system, patents related to the system, training films and footage of testing, and photographs of ROFEI hardware and the aircraft used in training.

Medical School, University of:

This series contains papers, photographs, and film related to Dr. Thornton's time in medical school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Papers include correspondence, research material, and his work on telemetry and telecardiography. Highlights include Dr. Thornton's work in developing the first real-time EKG computer analysis, and his prize-winning Telemetry EXhibit at the 1961 American Medical Association Annual Meeting.

U.S. Air Force Aerospace Medic:

This series contains materials tracing Dr. Thornton's continuing research in cardiography, telemetry, noise, nuclear magnetic resonance, and galvanic skin response as those investigations relate to the aerospace medicine. Also included are patents Dr. Thornton developed for the Air Force during this time.

NASA:

This series contains papers and photographs related to Dr. Thornton's career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Dr. Thornton joined NASA in 1967 and retired in 1994. While at NASA, Dr. Thornton was involved with the Skylab missions, and served as a mission specialist on board the Space Shuttle Challenger during missions STS-8 and STS-51B. Papers in this series include correspondence, news clippings, reports and recommendations based on Dr. Thornton's research in aerospace medicine and kinesiology, newsletters, materials about the missions Dr. Thornton worked on, patents that Dr. Thornton developed for NASA, and a visual acuity study that he performed. Photographs in this series include official astronaut portraits, official mission prints from the Apollo missions, Skylab missions, and shuttle launches, and prints of Dr. Thornton performing experiments in space on board the Challenger shuttle. Two oversized awards have been placed in a flat box holding other certificates from the series of Dr. Thornton's personal papers. They are the Apollo Soyuz Test Project Award, 1975; and a NASA Superior Achievement Award for Phase Training Completion, 1977.

Del Mar Avionics:

This series contains materials related to Dr. Thornton's professional relationship with Del Mar Engineering (now Del Mar Avionics). Dr. Thornton began working with the company during his first stint in the Air Force while developing the ROFEI system. He subsequently went to work for the company to organize and direct their Avionics Division. Dr. Thornton maintained an ongoing professional interaction with Bruce Del Mar and his company throughout his career. Contents of this series include correspondence, security clearances, contracts, company data, product brochures, and patents related to Dr. Thornton's work with Del Mar. Highlights of this series include Del Mar's work on the Radar Optical Scorer during the mid 1950s, cardiographic research and work on the Holter Recorder, and research into a caloric balance weight control system for diabetics.

University of Houston, Clear L:

This series contains materials relating to the biology course Dr. Thornton taught at the University of Houston at Clear Lake in 1989 and 1990. The course was titled Human Factors in Manned Space Flight. Papers include lecture notes, attendence rosters, and student grades.

Wright State University:

This series contains papers relating to Dr. Thornton's efforts to place records of his work with NASA at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

Unfinished Manuscripts:

This series contains work on three books that Dr. Thornton began but never finished. The first is an autobiography that Dr. Thornton titled The Moon Has Two Faces. Dr. Thornton produced about four chapters that covered his career with Air Force and medical school. The second unfinished manuscript was to be a book entitled Man In Space. The third manuscript described The Human Body in Weightlessness. These two works seem to have developed out of Dr. Thornton's teaching at University of Houston at Clear Lake.

Personal Papers:

This series contains papers outside of Dr. Thornton's professional career. One exception is a detailed curriculum vitae covering Dr. Thornton's career through 1989. The other papers in this series include certificates and community honors Dr. Thornton received, papers on Dr. Thornton's interest in radio repair, newsclippings, and magazine articles.