[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 49 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4017-S4018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             JOHN THORNTON

 Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I rise today to tell my 
colleagues about a generous person, who I am proud to call my friend 
and a Tennessean.
  His name is John ``Thunder'' Thornton. You may have read about his 
generosity last week in USA Today.
  In 1998, John went to the Final Four in San Antonio. While there, he 
had a frightening experience--he has a heart attack in the back of a 
taxi cab. His cab driver, Ceasar Hernandez, quickly drove him to the 
hospital and then made sure his teenage children, Dori and Johnny, got 
back to the hotel where family friends could take care of them.
  In the USA Today article, John said, ``Caesar saved my life, and he 
comforted my kids at a time when they needed that. I wanted to do 
something for him.''
  So to show his appreciation 6 years ago, John bought the stranger who 
saved his life a 1998 Cadillac sedan. The new car allowed Mr. Hernandez 
to start a cab company in his hometown of Victoria, TX instead of 
commuting to San Antonio to drive a taxi.
  John's gratefulness and graciousness doesn't end there. He returned 
to San Antonio last Friday for the Final Four. While there, he took Mr. 
Hernandez to the games and dinner and also had a surprise in store. 
Anyone who knows John knows he's an avid fan of the University of 
Tennessee. Ten years ago, he bought an orange and white stretch limo 
that he's driven to UT games across the country. Now Mr. Hernandez's 
taxi cab fleet includes that limousine.
  This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Most 
people in Tennessee know about John's gift to the University of 
Tennessee in Knoxville to establish the Thornton Athletic Student Life 
Center. But most people don't know that 10 years ago, when John sold 
his business in Georgia, he paid off the mortgages of every employee 
that worked for him.
  As I said earlier, I am proud to call him my friend, and I am proud 
to call him a Tennessean. His father, Lloyd, and my father carpooled to 
work at the Aluminum Company of America in Alcoa when John and I were 
growing up in Maryville.
  The Lloyd L. Thornton stadium at Maryville College is named in honor 
of him--a tribute by his son.
  On a personal note, I was proud to introduce John's daughter Dori, 
our Tennessee Cherry Blossom princess, at an event last week. She is a 
young Washington professional doing a fantastic job in political event 
planning and fundraising for Hammond and Associates. Like he father, 
Dori has an incredible energy and commitment to service. She serves as 
a patient care volunteer at the Children's National Medical Center and 
the Gilda's Club of Greater Washington and is a Junior Achievement 
kindergarten teacher at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School. She is a 
lovely young woman and a true Tennessee volunteer.
  Mr. President, thank you for allowing me to tell you and our Senate 
colleagues about a man who has found success and has set an example for 
all of us in what he does for others with that success.

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