Frank Thorne helped to make us great

As regular readers know, I have a special interest in those people who, years ago, made extraordinary contributions to barbershopping, but about whom most people today are largely ignorant. Most modern day barbershoppers, for example, probably know very little about Frank Thorne, except that the Frank H. Thorne Chapter was named for him.

The Society Rules and Regulations Handbook states, "The chapter shall be called the Frank H. Thorne Chapter (in honor of one of our late past Society Presidents)." Thorne stands out even among those men who have served as our presidents.

He was a Society president who made monumental contributions. According to the book, Melodies for Millions, by Will Cook, Frank Thorne was appropriately named because he was remarkably frank. "He had a way of making comments and offering constructive criticism which was startling in its bluntness and brevity."

Nobody, however, seems to have taken offense at his comments and criticisms. Because of his sincerity, these were remarkably effective, and, besides, Cook wrote "He was never mean or vindictive."

Cook also noted, "He was an excellent business man, being vice president of one corporation and president of several others.

When he became Society president in 1946, he put his executive talents to good use. Deac Martin, in his book, Keep America Singing, noted that in administering Society affairs, Thorne worked through 20 committees and through International Headquarters "into which led the lines from a healthy group of chapters which might be expected to reproduce prolifically. And they did." During his administration, the Society added 120 chapters in a single year.

He was not only an able administrator, but also an excellent musician. Cook noted that when he joined the Society Thorne said "(I)t sounds silly, but I haven’t heard any real harmony since I graduated from Illinois in 1913."

According to Martin during Thorne’s years as an Illinois college student, he and another future Society great, Maury Reagan, performed an act in which Thorne "fingered a mandolin and picked a guitar held by Reagan who manipulated the mandolin plectrum while fingering the proper frets on the guitar."

Thorne, who had a fine voice, sang bass with the 1942 International Champions, The Elastic Four. From the time they became champions until 1946, when Thorne became international president, this quartet, Martin wrote, "criss crossed the country like a fire works pattern."

Even though most modern day barbershoppers may know very little about this man who used his talents to contribute so much to our Society, he is one of those to whom we are indebted. Because of him and others like him, we enjoy the benefits of belonging to a great Society today.

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