Charles Thone

CHARLES THONE was born near Hartington, Nebraska, in 1924. He served in the U.S. Army Infrantry in World War II and in the Army Field Artillery and the Army Air Corps. He graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1950. From 1951 to 1952, Thone was deputy secretary of state for Nebraska, and from 1951 to 1952 he was assistant attorney general. He was assistant U.S. District Attorney in Lincoln from 1952 to 1954, and administrative assistant to U.S. Senator Roman Hruska, whom he served until 1970. Thone also served on the Nebraska Supreme Court Nominating Commission from 1969-1970. In 1970 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1979. He was assistant minority whip and a member of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. Thone served on the Republican National Committee and as state chair of the Nebraska Republican Party from 1959 to 1962. He chaired the Nebraska delegation to the Republican National Convention in 1972 and 1980. Thone served on the Executive Committee of the Interstate Oil Compact Commission from 1981-1983, and chaired the Old West Economic Development Commission from 1981-1982 and the Agricultural Committee of the President's Export Council from 1982-1985. Thone is an active Rotarian and served as District Governor from 1996-1997. He is past president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska State Bar Foundation, and the National Conference of Bar Foundations.