Robert L. Thornton

Robert Lee Thornton was an American banker and politician who served as the 47th mayor of Dallas from 1953 to 1961. A child of tenant farmers, Thornton's early years were divided between school and farm labor. After holding several jobs and starting two unsuccessful business ventures, Thornton began a banking operation in Dallas in 1916. The bank progressed to be a Texas-wide institution, and by 1923 it had a national charter. Thornton served as president (1916–1947) and board chairman (1947–1964) of the bank he founded, the Mercantile Bank and Trust Co.