:: Curtis Thorne, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology ::
Curt was born in Pine Grove, West Virginia, the ninth of ten children of Curtis Blaine Thorne Sr. and Cora Belle (Watson) Thorne. He was valedictorian of his high school class and received a B.S. in chemistry from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1943. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1948. His graduate studies were interrupted in 1945 when he spent one year working in a penicillin research and testing laboratory at Charles Pfizer and Co. in New York. From 1948 to 1961 and 1963 to 1966 Curt worked with past ASM president Riley D. Housewright at the U.S. Army Biological Laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland , and served as Chief of the Microbial Physiology Branch. He was a faculty member at Oregon State University from 1961 to 1963. In 1966 Curt began his tenure in the Microbiology Department at the University of Massachusetts, where he maintained active programs in research and teaching for almost 30 years. His research focused on the physiology and genetics of Bacillus anthracis , B . cereus , and B. thuringiensis . He is well-known for the isolation and characterization of multiple bacteriophage of these species and was a pioneer in investigations of interspecies genetic exchange. His early studies of B. anthracis toxin and capsule synthesis continue to be cited by current investigators in the field. Curt was an enthusiastic mentor to dozens of students. He worked side-by-side with undergraduate and graduate students and maintained his own bench in the laboratory until his retirement in 1994. He will be long-remembered for his course in microbial genetics which emphasized critical thinking skills and inspired a generation of students to pursue careers in basic research. He was also a committed friend and colleague to faculty in the department. In addition to mentoring junior faculty, he served as Graduate Program Director and Acting Chair. He was known for his keen insight and common sense approach, and he always enlivened faculty meetings with his humor. Curt was a longtime member of the ASM. He served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Bacteriology, and ASM and NIH committees that reviewed guidelines for research employing recombinant DNA. He received the ASM Selman Waksman award for outstanding research in 1958 and the University of Massachusetts Distinguished Teacher Award in 1982. Curt had a passion for music and amassed 60 years of recordings of Saturday broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera. While attending the University of Wisconsin he played the organ at the Presbyterian Student Church. He later played the organ and directed the choir at Walkersville (Maryland) United Methodist Church. His colleagues and friends remember his booming voice, hearty laugh, and signature phrase “Carry on.” A celebration of Curt's life is planned for early spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher Home, 1165 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002 and the VNA/Hospice of Cooley Dickinson, PO Box 329, Northampton, MA 01061. |
January 2008: Curtis Blaine Thorne, Jr., 86, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts died in Amherst, MA on January 10. For 49 years he was the loving husband of Winifred (Jones) Thorne. He was the dedicated father of Brad Thorne, of Freehold, NJ. In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by his daughter-in-law Lisa (Kelly) Thorne, sister Garnette Thorne of Marietta , Ohio , and eight nieces and nephews and their families. |
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