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'''Jesse Dale Thorn''', usually known as '''Dale Thorn''' or as '''J. Dale Thorn''' (October 7, 1942 &ndash; May 8, 2014), was a [[journalist]] and [[professor]] at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], who was the first press secretary to [[Edwin Edwards]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hannapub.com/ouachitacitizen/news/obituaries/article_b22754d4-db73-11e3-ac47-001a4bcf6878.html|title=Obituary of Dr. Jesse Dale Thorn|date=May 14, 2014|publisher=''The Ouachita Citizen''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref> a [[U.S. Representative]] and [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who served as [[governor]] for four nonconsecutive terms.

'''Jesse Dale Thorn''', usually known as '''Dale Thorn''' or as '''J. Dale Thorn''' (October 7, 1942 &ndash; May 8, 2014), was a [[journalist]] and [[professor]] at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], who was the first press secretary to [[Edwin Edwards]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hannapub.com/ouachitacitizen/news/obituaries/article_b22754d4-db73-11e3-ac47-001a4bcf6878.html|title=Obituary of Dr. Jesse Dale Thorn|date=May 14, 2014|publisher=''The Ouachita Citizen''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref> a [[U.S. Representative]] and [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who served as [[governor]] for four nonconsecutive terms.

 

==Biography==​

==Background==​

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A native of [[Brandon, Mississippi|Brandon]] in [[Rankin County, Mississippi|Rankin County]], [[Mississippi]], Thorn was w  born toas the younger of two sons of the Reverend James B. Thorn (1909-1979) and the former Ola Reid (1914-2001), who are interred at Lynn Cemetery in Archibald in Richland Parish, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32299098/ola-r_-thorn|title=Ola R. Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref> Thorn was reared in West Monroe, Louisiana, and graduated in 1960 from Ouachita Parish High School in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classmates.com/people/DaleThorn/116412641|title=Dale Thorn (Class of 1960)|publisher=classmates.com|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>  

A native of [[Brandon, Mississippi|Brandon]] in [[Rankin County, Mississippi|Rankin County]], [[Mississippi]], Thorn was w  born toas the younger of two sons of the Reverend James B. Thorn (1909-1979) and the former Ola Reid (1914-2001), who are interred at Lynn Cemetery in Archibald in Richland Parish, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32299098/ola-r_-thorn|title=Ola R. Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref> Thorn was reared in West Monroe, Louisiana, and graduated in 1960 from Ouachita Parish High School in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classmates.com/people/DaleThorn/116412641|title=Dale Thorn (Class of 1960)|publisher=classmates.com|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>  

He enlisted in the [[United States Marine Corps]], with service from 1960 to 1964. Thereafter, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Journalism from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]], then known as Northeast Louisiana State College, and his master's in journalism from [[Louisiana State University]], where he was later a [[professor]]. He subsequently obtained a [[Ph.D.]] in higher education administration from [[Florida State University]] in [[Tallahassee]], [[Florida]].<ref name=jdthorn>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/clarionledger/obituary.aspx?n=jesse-dale-thorn&pid=170968700#sthash.g1JbouVI.dpuf|title=Jesse Dale Thorn|publisher=''The Baton Rouge  Advocate''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>​

Thorn enlisted in the [[United States Marine Corps]], with service from 1960 to 1964. Thereafter, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Journalism from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]], then known as Northeast Louisiana State College, and his master's in journalism from [[Louisiana State University]], where he was later a [[professor]]. He subsequently obtained a [[Ph.D.]] in higher education administration from [[Florida State University]] in [[Tallahassee]], [[Florida]].<ref name=jdthorn>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/clarionledger/obituary.aspx?n=jesse-dale-thorn&pid=170968700#sthash.g1JbouVI.dpuf|title=Jesse Dale Thorn|publisher=''The Baton Rouge  Advocate''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>​

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Thorn's [[newspaper]] career began at ''The Monroe News-Star,'' then known as ''The Monroe Morning World,'' at which he reported on [[government]], [[politics]], and the state capital. He subsequently was an editor of ''The Shreveport Times'' in [[Shreveport]]. Both publications were then owned by the family of the late [[John D. Ewing]]. He was named the press secretary to [[U.S. Representative]] and [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]]. He continued as the press spokesman well into Edwards' second term as governor and in that capacity became acquainted with many of the leading journalists in the state.<ref name=jdthorn/> Thorn once observed that the southern press in the 1960s rarely reported on crimes against [[African American]]s:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/person?personId=91443982&targetid=profile|title=Dr. J. Dale Thorn|publisher=zoominfo.com|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>"The metro press really didn't cover that type of thing." A case in point was the burning death of Frank Morris, who operated a shoe repair shop in [Ferriday in Concordia Parish,, an unsolved racially motivated killing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20091226/ARTICLES/912259987/0/NEWS03?p=7&tc=pg|author=Matthew Barnidge|title=LSU student media, Small-town paper calls attention to unsolved civil-rights killings|date=December 25, 2009|publisher=''Lafourche Parish Daily Comet''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>​

Thorn's [[newspaper]] career began at ''The Monroe News-Star,'' then known as ''The Monroe Morning World,'' at which he reported on [[government]], [[politics]], and the state capital. He subsequently was an editor of ''The Shreveport Times'' in [[Shreveport]]. Both publications were then owned by the family of the late [[John D. Ewing]]. He was named the press secretary to [[U.S. Representative]] and [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]]. He continued as the press spokesman well into Edwards' second term as governor and in that capacity became acquainted with many of the leading journalists in the state.<ref name=jdthorn/> Thorn once observed that the southern press in the 1960s rarely reported on crimes against [[African American]]s:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/person?personId=91443982&targetid=profile|title=Dr. J. Dale Thorn|publisher=zoominfo.com|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>"The metro press really didn't cover that type of thing." A case in point was the burning death of Frank Morris, who operated a shoe repair shop in [Ferriday in Concordia Parish,, an unsolved racially motivated killing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20091226/ARTICLES/912259987/0/NEWS03?p=7&tc=pg|author=Matthew Barnidge|title=LSU student media, Small-town paper calls attention to unsolved civil-rights killings|date=December 25, 2009|publisher=''Lafourche Parish Daily Comet''|accessdate=May 17, 2014}}</ref>​

Upon leaving the Edwards administration, Thorn joined the staff of the[Louisiana Board of Regents and became associate commissioner for higher education. He worked to settle a dispute between the state and the [[United States Department of Justice]] over [[Segregation|desegregation]] of higher education in Louisiana. He then joined the administration of [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] as vice president for academic affairs. He returned to LSU in Baton Rouge to teach journalism and public relations as professor in residence with an endowed scholarship at the Douglas Manship School of Mass Communication. He retired from LSU in 2000 and relocated to his native Brandon in the [[Jackson]], the Mississippi state capital..<ref name=jdthorn/>​​

Upon leaving the Edwards administration, Thorn joined the staff of the[Louisiana Board of Regents and became associate commissioner for higher education. He worked to settle a dispute between the state and the [[United States Department of Justice]] over [[Segregation|desegregation]] of higher education in Louisiana. He then joined the administration of [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] as vice president for academic affairs. He returned to LSU in Baton Rouge to teach journalism and public relations as professor in residence with an endowed scholarship at the Douglas Manship School of Mass Communication. He retired from LSU in 2000 and relocated to his native Brandon in the [[Jackson]], the Mississippi state capital..<ref name=jdthorn/>​​

Thorn died in 2014 of [[Parkinson's disease]] while in hospice care in Ridgeland in Madison County, Mississippi. He was a  [[Southern Baptist]]. He is interred at Port Hudson National Cemetery in Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130129714/jesse-dale-thorn|title=Jesse Dale Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref>  Thorn was survived by his brother, Truett Noris Thorn (1935-2020), </,ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206804097/truett-noris-thorn|title=A1C Truett Noris Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref> and Truett's second wife, the former Brenda Gremillion; the couple had retired to Denham Springs  in Livingston Parish. Truett Thorn was a softball coach at West Monroe High School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/West_Monroe_High_School_Rebelaire_Yearbook/1983/Page_40.html ​

Thorn died in 2014 of [[Parkinson's disease]] while in hospice care in Ridgeland in Madison County, Mississippi. He was a  [[Southern Baptist]]. He is interred at Port Hudson National Cemetery in Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130129714/jesse-dale-thorn|title=Jesse Dale Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref>  Thorn was survived by his brother, Truett Noris Thorn (1935-2020), </,ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206804097/truett-noris-thorn|title=A1C Truett Noris Thorn|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref> and Truett's second wife, the former Brenda Gremillion; the couple had retired to Denham Springs  in Livingston Parish. Truett Thorn was a softball coach at West Monroe High School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/West_Monroe_High_School_Rebelaire_Yearbook/1983/Page_40.html ​

|title=West Monroe High School (Class of 1983)|publisher=e-yearbook.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref>​

|title=West Monroe High School (Class of 1983)|publisher=e-yearbook.com|accessdate=July 3, 2020}}</ref>​