Charles Thone

Early life

Thone was born in Hartington, Nebraska. He has three brothers, including John Jr. He graduated from Holy Trinity High School (now Cedar Catholic High School). During World War II, he served in the Infantry and in the field artillery and the Army Air Corps of the United States Army as a non-commissioned officer and as an officer.

Political career

Following graduation from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law in 1950, he set up private practice in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was deputy secretary of state for Nebraska from 1951 to 1952. In 1952, he became President of the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce. He married Ruth Raymond on August 16, 1953. From 1954 to 1970, he served as Administrative Assistant to U.S. Senator Roman Hruska.

Thone was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1971, representing Nebraska's 1st congressional district. During his tenure in Congress, he was assistant minority whip, and he served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations.

Governorship

In 1979, he became the 34th Governor of Nebraska, a post he held until 1983, when he was narrowly defeated for reelection by Bob Kerrey. He chaired the Old West Economic Development Commission from 1981 to 1982, and the Agricultural Committee of the President's Export Council from 1982 to 1985.

Later career

In the 1992 presidential election, he cast one of the state's five electoral votes for President George H. W. Bush. In 2008 he did the same for John McCain.

Since retiring from public life, he practiced law in Lincoln, Nebraska at the law office of Erickson and Sederstrom.