A native of Dannemora, New York, Thayer attended Middlebury College in Vermont.

In 1941, he was appointed general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL).

Ten days after resigning with the Eagles, Thayer accepted an offer from the Los Angeles Dons, in the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC), to be their manager.

[2] He served as the Dons manager for three seasons, until the team folded in 1950.

He was named general manager of the WGHQ radio station in 1959, and became its president in 1962.