Joseph Thornton
Born(1916-08-02)August 2, 1916
Stilwell, Oklahoma
DiedFebruary 4, 2019(2019-02-04) (aged 102)
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
OccupationArcher
Known forArchery championships

Joseph Thornton (August 2, 1916 – February 4, 2019)[1] was a Cherokee Archer.

Thornton was the Oklahoma State Archery Champion in 1960. After finishing fourth in the 1961 USA Archery Trials, his club raised money to send him to the World Championship in Oslo, Norway. That same year, he became World Champion by over 100 points, setting three world records.[2] Not only did he win the World Championship, but he was also a member of the gold winning men's team.[3] He earned individual silver medals in 1963 and 1965 at the World Championship.[2] During those two years, he also earned team gold with the Men's USA team.[2]

He was also the 1962 British International Trials Champion, the 1967 USA Team Gold World Tournament title holder,[4] the 1970 USA National Champion,[5] and a 1971 USA Team Gold World Champion.[4]

Thornton was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978. In 2016 the Cherokee Nation established the Joe Thornton Archery Range in Park Hill, Oklahoma.[2][6]

References

  1. ↑ Staff REPORTS. "Cherokee archer Joe Thornton dies at 102". cherokeephoenix.org. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Remembering 1961 World Archery Champion Joe Thornton". World Archery. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  3. ↑ Rhode, Robert (1963). Archery Champions. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Van Wold Stevens Co. pp. 59–63.
  4. 1 2 "Famed archer Thornton celebrates 100th birthday". Tahlequah Daily Press. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  5. ↑ "Roster of Winners of Individual and Team Championships During 1970". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  6. ↑ "Cherokee Nation opens the new Joe Thornton Archery Range". Muskogee Phoenix. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
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