Pulaski-Lawrence County ArArchives Biographies.....Thornburgh, George ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/arfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert Sanchez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006574 July 31, 2009, 6:56 pm Source: Full Citation Below Biography Author: S. J. Clarke (Publisher, 1922) HON. GEORGE THORNBURGH. Hon. George Thornburgh, lawyer, author and editor, who since the 1st of January, 1919, has been superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind, was born in Havana, Mason county, Illinois, January 25, 1847, a son of Eli and Elizabeth (Thoman) Thornburgh. The father was born in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, August 11, 1809, and the mother's birth occurred in Pennsylvania, September 20, 1810. They were married in Ohio, November 30, 1830, and became residents of Smithville, Arkansas, where the father followed mercantile pursuits. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party. He died November 14, 1884. The son, George Thornburgh, was but eight years of age when the family removed to Smithville, Arkansas, in December, 1855, and there he was reared to adult age. He attended law school at Cumberland University and was admitted to the bar in 1868, devoting several years to the practice of law. In 1886 he became identified with newspaper publication through the establishment of the Walnut Ridge Telephone and the following year he founded a Masonic paper known as the Masonic Trowel, of which he was the editor until July, 1919, when he transferred it to other hands. In November, 1889, he took over the business management of the Arkansas Methodist, published at Little Rock, and removed to the capital city. For fourteen years he continued as manager of that publication in partnership with Rev. Z. T. Bennett, D. D., and later with Rev. J. E. Godbey, D. D. On retiring from active connection with that paper he concentrated his efforts and attention exclusively upon his editorial work in connection with the Masonic Trowel and other Masonic publications. He had been extremely successful in his work as manager of the Arkansas Methodist, increasing its subscription list from about seven thousand to nearly twelve thousand. Mr. Thornburgh early entered actively upon the work of the church. He first confessed Christ in a country church at Shady Grove, a few miles south of Smithville, in Lawrence county, in 1863, and soon afterward was received into the membership of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, in Smithville. Almost continuously since reaching the age of nineteen years he has served as one of the church stewards, was Sunday school superintendent for more than forty years in Smithville, Powhatan, Walnut Ridge, and in the First church and Winfield Memorial church at Little Rock. He is the author of a Sunday school catechism and a catechism of church government, has also compiled class books and a Sunday school record, which have been widely used. He is the author of the stub form of reports of preachers to be made at the annual conference and. for fifteen years he served as the secretary of the Batesville district conference, while for a decade he acted in a similar capacity in connection with the White River annual conference. Twice he was a lay delegate to the general conference from the White River conference and once from the Little Rock conference. Mr. Thornburgh's activities have covered a very wide scope. He has always felt that to live in the world one should be a part of it, should find a place of activity where his efforts would prove of benefit to his fellowmen and further the interest of community, commonwealth and country at large. In early manhood he served for four terms as a member of the state legislature of Arkansas and in 1881 was speaker of the house. In the Brooks-Baxter war he was commissioned a colonel, first by Elisha Baxter, governor, and afterward by Governor Augustus H. Garland. He has not been an active factor in politics since 18S5, though frequently urged to become a candidate for governor. In more recent years his activities have been directed into other channels which have more closely affected the general interest of society, especially in uplift work. He was one of the organizers of the Anti-Saloon League in Arkansas and for many years has filled the office of president. When the executive committee of the Anti-Saloon League agreed upon the bone dry measure he prepared the bill and gave it to Senator Great-house to introduce into the senate. The house bill was copied from it. During the final passage of the bill in the house Mr. Thornburgh, by courtesy of the speaker, occupied the stand with him. Mr. Thornburgh was also one of the organizers of the Methodist Orphanage, became its first secretary and has been president thereof since October, 1906. He was the president of the Arkansas Press Association and was the first president of the Lawrence County Sunday School Association, filling the office in 1885. He assisted in organizing the State Sunday School Association, was honored with its first presidency and thrice has been reelected to that position. At the request of the trustees of the Methodist Orphanage he undertook to raise funds to build a home for the orphans and was eminently successful in this work, raising more than fifty thousand dollars and building a commodious home for the little ones in Little Rock, accepting no compensation for his service in that connection. On the 30th of September, 1868, Mr. Thornburgh was married to Margaret C. Self, who was born in Missouri, January 27, 1847, a daughter of the Rev. J. M. Self. They became the parents of six children: Lillie and Daisy, both deceased: Margaret Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. J. M. Workman; Celestine and Edna Georgie, who are deceased; and Agnes Eva, the wife of R. P. Ramsey. Mr. Thornburgh was married again in 1903, when Mrs. L. B. Green became his wife. She, too, is a daughter of a Methodist preacher, the Rev. W. P. Gibson of the St. Louis conference. Mr. Thornburgh has long been prominently known in Masonic circles and was elected to the highest office in the gift of the Masonic grand bodies of Arkansas. By request of the Grand Lodge of the state he wrote a book known among Masons as The Monitor, which was adopted by the Grand Lodge as the exclusive work for the lodges of this jurisdiction. It has been remarkably popular and twenty-one editions of a thousand each have been published. In 1914 he wrote a history of Freemasonry, which has found a ready sale, the seventh edition having already been published. The honorary thirty-third degree of Masonry has been conferred upon him and to him is given credit of leading the Grand Lodge in its advanced legislation against the liquor traffic and of putting the Masonic fraternity of the state on record as favorable to prohibition. His life has been devoted to service for his fellowmen, and on the 27th of December, 1918, he was chosen superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind, though not an applicant for the position, and he took charge on the 1st day of January, 1919. On the 1st of October, 1921, he entered upon another term of service to cover two years. He is doing splendid work in this connection, greatly improving conditions for the unfortunates under his charge. His life has ever been actuated by the highest ideals and in every possible way he has reached out a helping hand to his fellowmen and has labored untiringly in support of those things and interests which are looking toward the uplift of the individual, the betterment of the community and the adoption of those high principles which find their root in Christian teachings. Additional Comments: Citation: Centennial History of Arkansas Volume II Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. 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