15 Facts About Gayle Thornbrough

Gayle Thornbrough was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, and grew up in Indianapolis.

Gayle Thornbrough joined the Indiana Historical Society in 1937 and served as its director of publications and library, an editor of historical documents, and its first executive secretary until her retirement in 1984.

Gayle Thornbrough grew up in Indianapolis, where she graduated from Shortridge High School in 1932.

Gayle Thornbrough received an undergraduate degree from Butler University in 1937 and a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1942.

Gayle Thornbrough enjoyed the theater, music, and classical and modern literature.

Gayle Thornbrough traveled extensively with her older sister, Emma Lou, who was an Indiana historian, author and professor of history at Butler University.

Gayle Thornbrough began her career as an editor in 1937, when she joined the Indiana Historical Society as its first full-time employee.

Gayle Thornbrough became nationally recognized for her work in editing historical documents.

Gayle Thornbrough is listed as editor for nearly twenty publications, but prepared more than fifty more for publication.

Gayle Thornbrough was involved in historical editing projects for the Indiana Historical Bureau from 1947 to 1966 in addition to her work at the IHS.

Gayle Thornbrough left the IHS staff in 1967, when she went to work for the Library of Congress in Washington, DC She spent twenty months as a specialist in early US history in its Manuscript Division.

Gayle Thornbrough returned to Indiana in 1968 and began an eight-year tenure as the IHS's director of publications and library.

One of Gayle Thornbrough's major editing projects was leading a project team to publish The Diary of Calvin Fletcher.

Gayle Thornbrough was appointed the IHS's first executive secretary in 1976, following its reorganization as a separate entity from the Bureau, a state-supported historical agency.

Gayle Thornbrough was awarded an honorary doctorate from Indiana University in 1982.