History

John McBride Thornton was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He received a B.A. from Pomona College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Commissioned in the U.S. Navy Reserve, he served two years aboard a destroyer picket ship off Korea and the Formosa patrol. His final rank was lieutenant.

In 1957, Thornton was at Rohr Corporation in various positions, including contracts manager and administrative services manager. While at Rohr, he started a small manufacturing company, a real estate development company and taught at UC Extension in San Diego.

In 1965, Thornton became President of Wavetek, a small electronic instrument company. Over the next 20 years, while he served as President and Chairman of the Board, revenues increased from $400,000 to $85,000,000. In 1976, the Thornton’s became the largest stockholders of Micom Systems. For the next twelve years, with Thornton as Chair of the Board, the company grew from revenues of $400,000 to $240,000,000. The Thornton’s have invested in a variety of companies; currently, John Thornton is Chairman of the Board of Mitek Systems and THORNTON WINERY.

Sally Bullard Thornton, daughter of a nationally known oral surgeon, is a native San Diegan. She graduated from Stephens College, B.A., and M.A. in History, University of San Diego. Her award-winning research papers and book, Daring to Dream, 1987, on San Diego history are published by the San Diego Journal of History and The San Diego Historical Society. Sally is also published in The Westerners The Brand Book, 1987 and, Toward A Simpler Way of Life; The Art and Crafts Architects of California, University of California Press, 1997. She received three San Diego Institute of History awards. Active in business, Sally Thornton was on the Board of Micom Systems, Solectek, Chairman of the Board of Medical Materials Corp. She is on the Mitek Systems Board and, with her husband, John, and son, Steven, is owner of THORNTON WINERY.

Sally Thornton is a Life Trustee, San Diego Museum of Art; Chairman, UCSD Thornton Hospital Advisory Board; Honorary Chairman of the Board, Women International Center; Member, Executive Committee, UCSD Medical Center Advisory Board; was Vice-president, Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland; Trustee, Stephens College, Columbus, Missouri; Vice President, Family Services Association Board, San Diego County; and San Diego Baykeeper Board; American Heart Association, San Diego County Chapter Board, California State Board, and Chairman of the "Heart Sunday" Campaign; Chairman, San Diego Crippled Children Society, "Easter Seal" Campaign and Children’s Hospital Auxiliary Board. Sally was Chairman of the Board and President, Arthritis Foundation, San Diego; the Founder and First Chairman of Women’s Committee for Cerebral Palsy, San Diego; Chairman, California State Women’s Committee; President, Civic Youth Orchestra (nine years); President, Young Audiences, San Diego Chapter (six years); President, San Diego Planetarium Authority; President, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, San Diego Chapter; and President, San Diego Symphony Women’s Committee. She was Chairman, Epilepsy Society of San Diego County’s "Gingerbread City...Home for the Holiday." (five years); Chairman, Women’s International Center’s Annual Living Legacy Awards Gala (eleven years.)