Thornburg, Richard

Thornburg, Richard (Lewis)

(1932– ) governor, cabinet member; born in Pittsburgh, Pa. A corporate lawyer (1959–69) and Pennsylvania's attorney general (1969–75), he became an assistant attorney general in Washington after Watergate (1975–79). As governor of Pennsylvania (Rep., 1975–87), he oversaw evacuation and cleanup after the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, blocking efforts to reopen the reactor. As Bush's attorney general (1988–91), he prosecuted drug criminals, leaving to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate. He returned to practicing law.