Remembering Charles H. Thornton

Founding Principal Charles H. Thornton, a renowned structural engineer, educator and mentor, died in Maryland on December 12 following a brief illness. He was 83 years old. Charlie, who retired in 2004, had served as chairman and CEO. During a career that spanned some 60 years, Charlie played a leading role in the design and construction of some of the world’s most famous buildings while helping to transform a small New York engineering firm into the international multi-disciplinary organization it is today.

“Charlie was a visionary, foreseeing the needs of structural engineering, our clients, the building industry and the public it serves,” Founding Principal Richard Tomasetti said. “He was equally dedicated to mentoring everyone in our firm, our partners, and future generations through his founding of the ACE Mentor Program of America. I am fortunate to have had Charlie as my partner and friend for more than 60 years and to have shared in his inspiring journey that helped people achieve more than they ever imagined.”

Under Charlie and Richard’s leadership, the firm developed a reputation for innovation and excellence, often taking on technically challenging projects that others said couldn’t be done. Working with many of the most talented architects of the day, the firm amassed a portfolio of high-rise buildings, airports, sports and entertainment venues, transportation hubs and special and long-span structures, many of which have set industry standards for innovative thinking. These include some of the first supertall towers—Petronas Towers in Malaysia and Taipei 101 in Taiwan—and countless iconic structures around the world.

Born in 1940 in the Bronx, New York, Charlie was inspired to become an engineer by his dad, an electrician and bricklayer who later served as chief building inspector for the borough. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College and master’s and doctoral degrees from New York University. As a young doctoral student, he came to the attention of Lev Zetlin because of his thesis studies of cable nets, which were an ideal complement to Lev’s designs, such as the double-layer bicycle wheel roof system. He joined Lev Zetlin Associates in 1960 and worked on multiple pavilions at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, which helped put the firm on the map. Another important project during his LZA tenure was the American Airlines 747 SuperBay hangars in San Francisco and Los Angeles, which called for orthotropic steel deck in hyperbolic paraboloid configurations as webs for huge roof cantilevers.

In 1977, Lev Zeitlin accepted an offer from construction materials manufacturer Gable Industries to buy the firm. Six years later, Charlie and Richard were able to rise to the challenge of buying the firm back from Gable in the middle of a recession and turning it private. In subsequent years they developed a successful ownership transition plan that has led to today’s dynamic management. After retiring from the firm, Charlie continued to serve in an advisory position for a number of years.

Charlie’s dedication to the field of engineering went beyond just project work. One of his passion projects was the ACE Mentor Program, a non-profit organization he founded in 1994 that introduces high school students to potential careers in the architecture, construction and engineering industry. According to ACE, each year more than 10,000 students and 4,000 mentors, including several from Thornton Tomasetti, take part in the program. In 2011, ACE Mentor was honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

Charlie received numerous awards and accolades during his career. He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Construction and named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and American Society of Civil Engineers. He was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Civil Engineering from The Franklin Institute, and American Society of Civil Engineers’ Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award. Together with Richard Tomasetti, he is the recipient of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Medal.

Beyond his professional achievements, Charlie enjoyed sailing, painting and spending time with his family. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was also known as an engaging storyteller. He delighted sharing the backstories behind the firm’s successes, many of which were included in his memoir “A Life of Elegant Solutions.” His sailboat, as well, was named Elegant Solution.

"Engineering, at its core, is about shaping the future,” Charlie wrote. “It is through our collective efforts that we have the power to create structures that not only stand tall but also stand as reminders of human ingenuity."

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the ACE Mentor Program's Charles H. Thornton Memorial Scholarship Fund.