Richard Lewis Thornburgh was born on July 16, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Yale University in 1954 and earned his LL.B degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1957. Mr. Thornburgh also holds honorary degrees from 31 colleges and universities.
Following law school, Mr. Thornburgh worked in private industry until 1959 when he joined the Pittsburgh law firm then known as Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. In 1967, he was elected as a delegate to the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention. From 1969 to 1975, Mr. Thornburgh was the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division in 1975, serving two years in Washington, D.C. in that role before returning to private practice as a partner at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. Pennsylvania elected Mr. Thornburgh governor in 1979 and he served two terms. Mr. Thornburgh also taught courses at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and directed that school’s Institute of Politics from 1987 to 1988.
Appointed by President Reagan, Richard Thornburgh was sworn in as Attorney General on August 12, 1988. President George H.W. Bush reinstated him as Attorney General in 1989 and he served until 1991. In 1992, the American Legion honored Mr. Thornburgh with its highest award, the “Distinguished Services Medal.” He published his autobiography in 2003 entitled, Where the Evidence Leads: The Autobiography of Dick Thornburgh.
A Life in the Law: The Latest Chapter
Duquesne Student Chapter
Welcome & Opening Address by Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
1990 National Lawyers Convention
Hotel Inter-Continental444 St Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70130
Opening Address by Attorney General Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
The Presidency and Congress
The Mayflower Hotel1127 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
Welcome & Opening Address by Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
1990 National Lawyers Convention
On November 30- December 1, 1990, the Federalist Society hosted its annual National Lawyers Convention...
Welcome & Opening Address by Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
1990 National Lawyers Convention
On November 30- December 1, 1990, the Federalist Society hosted its annual National Lawyers Convention...
Opening Address by Attorney General Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
The Presidency and Congress
On January 19-20, 1990, The Federalist Society hosted a conference at the Mayflower Hotel in...
Opening Address by Attorney General Richard Thornburgh [Archive Collection]
The Presidency and Congress
On January 19-20, 1990, The Federalist Society hosted a conference at the Mayflower Hotel in...