HERO OF THE INDUSTRY AWARD – 1ST CHEMIST OF THE YEAR

 

HE JOINED THE FIRM OF THORNTON LABORATORIES AFTER GRADUATING FROM

 

CLEMSON IN 1940 WITH A BS IN CHEMISTRY. ONE OF HIS MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES WAS

 

TO DEVELOP BOTH MANUAL AND MECHANICAL SAMPLING PROCEDURES FOR VARIOUS

 

COMMERCIAL COMMODITITES, INCLUDING FERTILIZER AND FERTILIZER MATERIALS.

 

HE IS OWNER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR THORNTON LABORATORIES IN TAMPA,

 

FLORIDA, A 15,000 SQ. FT. INDEPENDENT LABORATORY SERVING THE PHOSPHATE AND

 

FERTILIZER INDUSTRY, ENGINEERS, CONSULTANTS, FOOD PROCESSORS, WATER

 

TREATMENT FACILITIES, AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. WITH OVER 30 CHEMIST,

 

ANALYSTS, MICROBIOLOGISTS AND FIELD TECHNICIANS, THE LABORATORY IS NELAP

 

ACCREDITED FACILITY. HE MET HIS LOVELY WIFE, JANE, WHILE THEY WERE BOTH

 

WORKING AT THE LABORATORY. THEY NOW LIVE IN NORTH TAMPA.

 

HE IS A PERMANENT EMERITIES MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, WAS

 

APPOINTED TO THE PORT DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN 1981 AND WAS SELECTED MAN OF

 

THE YEAR IN 1984 BY THE PROPELLOR CLUB OF TAMPA, A MEMBER OF THE AOAC

 

INTERNATIONAL, PAST CONSULTANT TO THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURE RESEARCH

 

INSTITUTE (NOW THE FLORIDA FERTILIZER AND AGRICHEMICAL ASSOCIATION), A

 

RETIRED NFPA CERTIFIED MARINE CHEMIST, AN ACTIVE JUDGE FOR THE AMERICAN

 

ORCHID SOCIETY-FLORIDA NORTH-CENTRAL REGION, A COLLECTOR OF RARE

 

MINERALS, AND AN AVID WINE ENTHUSIAST.

 

IN 1964 HE ASSUMED THE CHARIMANSHIP OF THE METHODS COMMITTEE FOR THE

 

ASSOCIATION OF FERTILIZER AND PHOSPHATE CHEMISTS. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE

 

ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA PHOSPHATE CHEMISTS.) AS CHAIRMAN OF THE METHODS

 

COMMITTEE, HE GUIDED THE PUBLICATION FOR FOUR METHODS MANUALS, (1971, 1981,

 

1991 AND 2001.) THIS MANUAL PROVIDES THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY WITH

 

STANDARDIZED ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR THEIR PRODUCT TESTING.

 

BECAUSE OF HIS LONG AND CONTINUING CONTRIBUTION TO THE AFPC AND THE

 

 

PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY, WE ARE GIVING THIS HERO OF THE INDUSTRY AWARD TO

 

CHARLES THORNTON.

 

IN ADDITION, THE AFPC IS HONORING CHARLES THORNTON BY DEDICATING THE 8TH

 

 

EDITION OF THE AFPC METHODS MANUAL TO HIM.

 

CONGRATUATIONS CHARLES.